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 Congo (November 2009)
Despite the inclusion of protection in the MONUC mandate, the situation for women in the DRC remains dire. The Security Council should:
- Request the Security Council working group on children and armed conflict refer violations involving sexual violence against children in DRC to the sanctions committee for DRC;
- Strengthen the UN arms embargo and adopt other targeted measures against parties to armed conflict that fail to address acts of sexual violence against women or children committed by their members; and exclude individual commanders responsible for sexual violence from governance structures;
- Support the establishment of a special chamber with DRC and international judges and prosecutors within the DRC justice system to investigate serious violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence, and investigate and prosecute senior officials who are responsible for these violations.
- Establish an independent vetting mechanism to exclude suspected perpetrators of violence against women from the army, police and intelligence services, starting with the senior officer corps, pending judicial investigation (1888 OP3)
Despite the inclusion of protection in the MONUC mandate, the situation for women in the DRC remains dire. The Security Council should:
- Request the Security Council working group on children and armed conflict refer violations involving sexual violence against children in DRC to the sanctions committee for DRC;
- Strengthen the UN arms embargo and adopt other targeted measures against parties to armed conflict that fail to address acts of sexual violence against women or children committed by their members; and exclude individual commanders responsible for sexual violence from governance structures;
- Support the establishment of a special chamber with DRC and international judges and prosecutors within the DRC justice system to investigate serious violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence, and investigate and prosecute senior officials who are responsible for these violations.
- Establish an independent vetting mechanism to exclude suspected perpetrators of violence against women from the army, police and intelligence services, starting with the senior officer corps, pending judicial investigation (1888 OP3)
Relevant Resources
