United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Eoin Young
7 March 2008
In the lead up to International Women's Day on 8 March next, a workshop was organised in Kinshasa by MONUC's Public Information and Gender Divisions on 7 March 2008, which aimed at stimulating dialogue between public and social leaders for the promotion of women in the DRC.
In attendance was the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the DRC Mr. Ross Mountain, the head of MONUC's Gender Division Ms. Asseta Ouedraogo and DRC government representatives, as well as representatives from Women's NGOs and civil society organisations.
Quoting UN Secretary General Ban Ki -Moon's address on International Women's Day, Ms. Ouedrago said that "in women, the world has at its disposal the most significant and yet largely untapped potential for development and peace."
"And yet, we still have a long way to go. Women are still severely hampered by discrimination, lack of resources and economic opportunities, by limited access to decision-making and by gender-based violence," said the Secretary General.
Mr. Ross Mountain said that "Congolese women play a well known and irreplaceable role in society", yet the "promotion of women is rarely integrated into the national development plan."
"I think that this workshop will allow an examination of the obstacles for the development of women and girls, and the proposition of new strategies to help emancipate women for real equality between the sexes," he added.
According to Mr. Mountain, three key issues are the increase of access for girls to primary education, an adequate representation of women in the national institutions, as well as an end to impunity for sexual violence in the DRC.
During the day long workshop, the participants also exchanged perspectives on reinforcing the rights of Congolese women and young girls, and they identified the key domains and actors, with the goal of conceiving strategies to ensure that the gender laws are applied in the DRC, so that full economic and social progress can be achieved.
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