Huge success for WILPF DRC!
It may be summer in Geneva but rather than spending our time on the beach, we prefer to defend human rights.
We just participated in the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) session on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
CEDAW monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and reviews periodical reports submitted by state parties.
This session on the DRC was particularly important for us as Annie Matundu Mbambi, the president of
WILPF DRC, played a crucial role in advocating for the inclusion of specific recommendations in the CEDAW report.
What we did
WILPF DRC, with the assistance of the WILPF International Secretariat, wrote a
shadow report for CEDAW focusing on the application of the
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and the lack of participation of women in the peace-building process. The report highlights the linkages between the flow of small arms, militarization and sexual violence.
On 9 July, we organised a
panel event on a different vision on women in the DRC. We were pleased to welcome CEDAW members and other stakeholders at the event.
The day prior to the formal review at an informal lunch meeting, Annie Matundu Mbambi read a
statement to CEDAW members, which included specific recommendations for the DRC.
It worked!
When the Committee issued its
concluding observations to the DRC, we were pleased to hear that many of our recommendations are now requirements for the government.
The DRC has two years to take action and report back to the Committee on the advancement of the recommendations.
Here are the recommendations WILPF advocated for, which we will pay specific attention to during the upcoming years:
- The DRC must ensure the effective implementation of the National Action Plan for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 and establish a comprehensive national policy to provide adequate reparations to victims of sexual crimes.
- The DRC must ensure the effective regulation of the arms trade, control the circulation of illicit small arms and consider ratifying the 2013 Arms Trade Treaty.
- Finally, the DRC must significantly enhance the inclusion and representation of women in peace negotiations and also ensure their representation in provincial security committees.
While we are pleased with our success, our work does not stop here. We must now promote, monitor and analyse the implementation of these recommendations by the Government of the DRC.
Want more details? Check out our blog on
CEDAW endorses WILPF’s recommendations on the DRC. 
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