Survivors of sexual violence: It is not enough to just punish…we must also repair

Participant in the Commission on the Status of Women session in New York, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) highlights progress, including increased presence of women in decision-making bodies, equality enshrined in the Constitution, and a more comprehensive approach to addressing violence against women.

In an interview with ONU Info, the Minister of Gender, Family, and Child, Micheline Omba Kalama, emphasizes: “It is not enough to just punish or sanction, but we must also repair.”

In the east of the country, conflict-related sexual violence remains one of the deepest injustices. They are, she points out, “used as weapons of war” to “reduce” women, make them “incapable of thinking or resisting,” with lasting consequences.

Despite persistent obstacles, particularly in conflict-affected areas where access to victims remains difficult, Congolese authorities intend to strengthen access to justice, notably through revitalizing courts and organizing mobile court hearings.

But the response does not stop at sanctions. The DRC also focuses on reparation, through the National Fund for Reparation of Victims and integrated care centers, allowing survivors to “resume their lives” and reintegrate into society.

The Minister also highlights the promotion of “positive masculinity” – encouraging men, from a young age, to recognize women’s capabilities and consider them as equals – as well as a “zero tolerance” policy towards perpetrators of violence, to prevent these crimes and strengthen judicial responses.

(Interview: Micheline Omba Kalama, Minister of Gender, Family, and Child of the DRC; interview by Cristina Silveiro)