Women: pillars of peace and change

As in countries all over the world, International Women’s Day was celebrated this 8th of March in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a whole and in both Kivu provinces, South and North Kivu, where the main theme was “men and women united for change and peace”. With this theme as a starting point, several questions were asked as to whether it is possible to have a union between women and men at the moment, with the aim of change and of consolidating peace in this country. Can we talk about unity of men and women in this country where the disparities between the sexes are so profound? Can we talk about peace to the thousands of women and girls who have been the victims of sexual violence when they still haven’t seen their executioners (perpetrators of rape) brought to justice? I would like to know how a woman can participate in the process of change in this country when her presence remains virtually non-existent in most of the places where decisions are taken.

The disparities between the sexes in this country in general and in both the Kivu provinces are particularly evident in the areas of education, the labour market and participation in politics. We can still see that access to education seems to be more difficult for girls than for boys for several reasons, notably early marriage, pregnancy, sexual harassment etc. Inequality in the field of education has repercussions on the labour market, making it difficult to employ women. An analysis of the institutional sector shows that women are virtually absent from the organized sector (the formal public and private sector) which means that 97% of women in both Kivu provinces work in the informal sector, compared to 85% of men. Moreover, 4% of men occupy executive posts compared to just 0.1% of women. The reality is that in both Kivu provinces, women work mainly in jobs which are insecure and badly paid.

When it comes to politics, the participation of women in instances of decision making is marginal. This is evident in almost all the institutions of the country in general and in both Kivu provinces in particular. One example of this is that several weeks ago in Kinshasa, President Kabala reshuffled his government team and in the new team, which consists of 43 Ministers, only three are women, which is unjust given the role that women play in Congolese society. In both Kivu provinces there is not even one female governor or vice- governor, not a single female territorial administrator except for the city of Bukavu which is led by a woman but which is under the pressure of its hierarchy. In the DRC the political system has long been dominated by men, and that is moreover linked to our customs, which often reduce women to objects. According to these customs a woman must always submit to a man, a woman may not under any circumstances speak in the presence of men, a young girl does not have the same rights as a boy when it comes to education; in short, a woman must content herself with household chores such as going to the fields, doing the cooking and so on.

According to the UN and several human rights organizations, there were 14,000 cases of sexual violence in East DRC in 2009. These acts of rape were generally committed not only by the national armed groups and by foreigners but also by the armed forces of this country (FARDC) which were charged with protecting the population. All these victims of rape are today calling for justice to be done and we can see on the part of the government the absence of an obvious willingness to try the perpetrators of rape, beginning with the officers of the FARDC who have been implicated in the serious violations of human rights here in the East. How can we aspire to lasting peace without justice? We want to know who did what and why he did it. This same government is trying to convince the population that an amnesty should be granted to all these warlords, in the name of peace. What amnesty can you offer someone who has raped a three-year –old girl?

Today the perpetrators of rape roam freely without fear; that is the situation for some FARDC officers, notably General Jean-Bosco NTAGANDA, who is being sought by the International Criminal Court but still protected by the government of Kinshasa, and Innocent ZEMURINDI in North Kivu. These two men still hold posts of responsibility within the national army and they have not stopped intimidating the population. The actions of the country are thus a help towards generalised impunity, and this is unacceptable! As for the Congolese judiciary, which should have stopped these perpetrators of rape, it lacks not only the means but also the will to do so, because the judiciary in the DRC is extremely corrupt. The only chance of bringing these perpetrators of rape to trial is to turn to the international justice system. The international community should not spare any effort to put pressure on the government of Kinshasa to stop the people responsible for the violations of human rights in the east of the country once and for all.

Change in the DRC as a whole and both Kivu provinces in particular must begin with the socio-economic development of the women, and that must begin with promoting the education of young girls, because as they say, “When you educate one girl, you educate the entire nation”, and with the participation of women in the various instances of decision making. The peace we are still dreaming of in this country will not become a reality as long as we do not shed light on the responsibility of all the people involved in the atrocities experienced by women and girls in East DRC. We ask that THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL TRY THE CRIMES OF RAPE WHICH HAVE BEEN COMMITTED AGAINST THE WOMEN IN EAST DRC.

The fight for women’s rights in the DRC in general and in both Kivu provinces in particular is a long-term battle and it will require effort on the part of all women and those men who have taken up the women’s cause. Furthermore, the international community in general and Sweden (a country in which women’s rights are undisputed) in particular should support the Congolese organizations which are fighting to promote women’s rights.
TOGETHER, WE CAN DO IT!