Democratic Republic of the Congo
Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to face widespread sexual violence, disease, and displacement in conflict situations arising from clashes between dozens of armed groups. Often, sexual violence and rape are used as terror tactics and weapons of war, and despite the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Women’s Platform for the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, women are still largely underrepresented in peacebuilding efforts. Additionally, women activists face rape as a form of torture by government actors who disagree with their political activity. The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) aims to provide protection for civilians, including reducing the threat of armed groups perpetrating sexual and gender-based violence, monitoring and reporting on sexual violence and ensuring women’s participation in stabilization and national political dialogue.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to face widespread sexual violence, disease, and displacement in conflict situations arising from clashes between dozens of armed groups. Often, sexual violence and rape are used as terror tactics and weapons of war, and despite the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the Women’s Platform for the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, women are still largely underrepresented in peacebuilding efforts.
Additionally, women activists face rape as a form of torture by government actors who disagree with their political activity. The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) aims to provide protection for civilians, including reducing the threat of armed groups perpetrating sexual and gender-based violence, monitoring and reporting on sexual violence and ensuring women’s participation in stabilization and national political dialogue.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (September 2016)
The Security Council is expected to consider reports on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) and the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement in the Great Lake region (PSC). It is critical that the mission prioritizes all WPS provisions of its mandate (SCR 2277 (2016), OPs 8, 38, 50(i)), and all stakeholders should ensure that gender is mainstreamed across the implementation of the PSC. Past reporting has failed to detail mission efforts to support women and women’s civil society participation in peace and security processes, and thus the Council should follow-up on any such imbalance and request that all aspects of the WPS agenda are considered and reported on equally. Security Council members should follow-up and inquire as to efforts by MONUSCO, relevant UN entities, and the relevant Framework implementation mechanism on the following:
- Measures which ensure women’s full and equal participation in the strategic dialogue on MONUSCO’s progressive withdrawal, as well as all disarmament, justice, and security sector reform efforts;
- Strategies which aim to protect women, men, girls and boys from SGBV, including coordinated monitoring and analysis arrangements to track SGBV, availability of comprehensive, multi-sectoral services for survivors, and deployment of women’s protection advisers (WPAs);
- Efforts to engage civil society and women’s organizations in monitoring and implementing the PSC Framework; and
- Status of an evaluation of the Great Lakes Women’s Platform, to ensure inclusive, participative, transparent and accountable processes in the future of the platform.
The Security Council is expected to consider reports on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) and the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement in the Great Lake region (PSC). It is critical that the mission prioritizes all WPS provisions of its mandate (SCR 2277 (2016), OPs 8, 38, 50(i)), and all stakeholders should ensure that gender is mainstreamed across the implementation of the PSC. Past reporting has failed to detail mission efforts to support women and women’s civil society participation in peace and security processes, and thus the Council should follow-up on any such imbalance and request that all aspects of the WPS agenda are considered and reported on equally. Security Council members should follow-up and inquire as to efforts by MONUSCO, relevant UN entities, and the relevant Framework implementation mechanism on the following:
- Measures which ensure women’s full and equal participation in the strategic dialogue on MONUSCO’s progressive withdrawal, as well as all disarmament, justice, and security sector reform efforts;
- Strategies which aim to protect women, men, girls and boys from SGBV, including coordinated monitoring and analysis arrangements to track SGBV, availability of comprehensive, multi-sectoral services for survivors, and deployment of women’s protection advisers (WPAs);
- Efforts to engage civil society and women’s organizations in monitoring and implementing the PSC Framework; and
- Status of an evaluation of the Great Lakes Women’s Platform, to ensure inclusive, participative, transparent and accountable processes in the future of the platform.
Relevant Resources
