Outcome COD_D_1.4

By 2029, the Congolese population, particularly in conflict and post-conflict areas in the context of MONUSCO's disengagement, live in an environment of improved security, sustainable peace, more effective justice, social cohesion and they are better protected against all forms of violence (armed and unarmed) and are more resilient to the effects of conflict.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, available data as reported in the IPU site point to persistent gaps in inclusive representation, particularly for women. As of April 2024, women held 16 seats out of 101 in Parliament, representing 15.8 per cent of members. it provides critical contextual evidence underscoring the relevance of continued efforts to promote inclusive participation and leadership, particularly through Women, Peace and Security and governance programming. 4 gender-responsive strategies and action plans were developed or validated with UN Women support during the reporting year under the Peace and Security programming. These include: Two local engagement action plans validated to strengthen the protection of internally displaced persons, particularly women and youth; One Provincial Action Plan aligned with the National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 (PAP 1325), whose operationalization was supported by UN Women; One Provincial Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security (PAP 2250), supported by UN Women for its establishment. These instruments integrate gender equality as a core objective, are aligned with global normative frameworks (UNSCR 1325/2250), are informed by participatory processes, and include concrete actions to advance women’s protection, participation and leadership in peacebuilding and governance. With funding from the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), in 2025 UN Women conducted a study on the protection of women human rights defenders (WHRDs) in North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The study found that WHRDs in North Kivu carry out exceptional work in a context of acute institutional fragility. The selected study areas reflect environments under a state of siege, characterized by severe restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms, territories under occupation or administration by local and foreign armed groups (including M23, AFC, APCLS, among others), constant population movements, and widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Beyond existing universal and regional legal mechanisms, the Congolese constitutional and legislative framework has seen limited progress in protecting WHRDs, particularly in North Kivu Province. A significant period elapsed after the DRC ratified international legal instruments on the protection of human rights defenders before the 2023 law on the protection and accountability of human rights defenders was enacted, and even then, it only timidly incorporated provisions addressing the specific situation of WHRDs. Using a mixed-methods approach (quantitative and qualitative), data were collected in accordance with relevant scientific standards. The research findings reveal persistent protection gaps and the need to improve professional, socio-political, and security-related environments. WHRDs face constant risks (60%) in the exercise of their human rights work, democratic backsliding under the state of siege (63.2%), and have limited knowledge of the law on the protection and accountability of human rights defenders in the DRC (29.2%). The study also highlights limited awareness among WHRDs of mechanisms for alert collection, monitoring, and protection strategies in response to threats (52.8%). Beyond legal and institutional protection, the findings also point to professional exposure of WHRDs through the following performance and underperformance indicators: Actors involved in the protection of WHRDs include political and administrative authorities; the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH); security and intelligence officers; courts and tribunals; the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO); NGOs; civil society organizations; and Members of Parliament. Actors responsible for threats and repression against WHRDs include political and administrative authorities; security service agents and officers; armed groups; courts and tribunals; and Members of Parliament. Persistent risks faced by WHRDs include arbitrary arrest, death threats, killings, physical violence, harassment and kidnapping, forced exile, gender-based violence, intimidation and risk of divorce, stigmatization and demonization leading to loss of marriage and employment opportunities, community stigma, verbal abuse, and anonymous threatening phone calls. Aggravating circumstances of risk include the state of siege, armed conflict, occupation of territories by rebel or armed groups, armed aggression, democratic backsliding, forced displacement, human rights violations, and population movements. Protection strategies adopted by WHRDs include training and awareness-raising, partner support, alerts and reporting, use of multiple phone numbers, confidentiality and security measures, avoiding bars and nightclubs, avoiding late-night outings, and regularly spending nights in undisclosed locations. Sources and management of information include reports produced by NGOs, civil society organizations, religious institutions, public authorities, local communities, local media, and ICT services (Information and Communication Technologies). The Congolese legal framework requires strengthening through the introduction of specific protection measures for WHRDs operating in a context described as a “24-hour renewable life expectancy” in North Kivu, by integrating gender-responsive provisions addressing professional prospects and household security for WHRDs. Furthermore, strengthening partnerships between WHRDs and the beneficiaries of their work—through a “community pact”—is increasingly necessary as a community-based protection mechanism and as a means to improve trust and cooperation among stakeholders involved in the protection of WHRDs in North Kivu Province.