The United Nations is boosting the efforts of women in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC) to overcome decades of low female participation
in politics and achieve their rightful role in governing the vast African
country and rebuilding it after years of civil war.
"Achieving democratic governance is not possible without equal participation
of men and women in decision-making processes," UN Development Programme
(<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) gender expert Marie Bapu told the first
national conference of Congolese women which concluded in Kinshasa, the
capital, yesterday.
This implies "a good definition of public policies and the establishment of
laws and programmes for the encouragement and achievement of equality," she
said.
The conference was organized by the Congolese Women's League for Elections
in collaboration with the UN, the Government, and the Open Society
Initiative for Southern Africa.
The senior gender adviser for the UN Mission in DRC
(<"http://monuc.unmissions.org/">MONUC), Elsie Effange-Mbella, noted that
this year marks the 15th anniversary of the UN World Conference on Women in
Beijing, which emphasized gender equality at all levels, including in
decision-making processes and national policies through democratic
elections.
She stressed that MONUC had striven to ensure that the conference achieve
nationwide participation by arranging for delegates from 11 provinces to use
MONUC flights and covering their accommodation and living expenses.
"This investment has been worthwhile considering the seminar's objectives
and the fruitful exchange of experiences and ideas," she said.
UNDP, together with other partners, including the UN Development Fund for
Women (<"http://www.unifem.org/">UNIFEM), has been supporting the Government
in formulating a national gender policy to promote gender mainstreaming in
all government actions at the national and provincial level.
The goal is to support Congolese women in their quest for leadership and
make them aware that they have "a key role in rebuilding their country," Ms.
Bapu said.
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