In the Kabase (about 52 km from Goma), within the North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, gender-based violence is a serious concern. Several cases of rape and sexual violence against women and girls have been reported. Many of these cases arose when women and girls were travelling to and from the marketplace, which is situated several kilometres away from the village. Gender-based violence in all its forms undermines the health, dignity, security and autonomy of its victims, yet it remains shrouded in a culture of silence.

Concerned by this human rights violation, the Dimitra Clubs of Kabase decided to tackle the issue in their discussions. During two village assemblies organized in October 2020 by members of the clubs, three major problems were identified: violence against women and girls; child malnutrition and the isolation of the locality due to the poor condition of roads.

Commonly, rural women and men in Dimitra Clubs discuss issues related to the development of their communities, such as agricultural practices, sanitation and nutrition, as well as sensitive issues such as gender-discriminatory social norms and gender-based violence. They analyse the problems and look for solutions that can be jointly implemented. Throughout the process, rural women and men improve their dialogue and communication skills, both at the household and community levels. Rural women in particular, increase their self-confidence and strengthen their leadership skills and agency.

To address gender-based violence, a two-pronged strategy was proposed by the Dimitra Clubs at the village level. First, to mitigate the risk, the community decided to set up a solidarity fund made up of voluntary contributions in order to develop their own market in the locality. Each household has agreed to contribute a minimum of USD 1 per household. As of 26 January 2021, the population had collected USD 480. Their goal is to raise at least USD 3 000 in the coming months.

As a preventive and transformational measure, the Dimitra Clubs proposed to put an end to gender-based violence by promoting ad hoc discussions around the norms and beliefs that promote and perpetuate violence.

This is being achieved through inclusive discussions at the community level that also engage men and boys in changing gender-discriminatory norms and behaviours, and promoting positive masculinity.

As a result of this intervention, on Tuesday 26 January 2021, Mr Joseph Mahemo Hangi, the Chief of the locality of Kabase, congratulated the eight Dimitra Clubs operating in the locality for their efforts in mobilizing communities against gender-based violence.

4. Generational gaps, women empowerment and decent rural employment

Gender equality and women empowerment in food and agriculture
(FMM/GLO/138/MUL)

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