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No Justice, No Democracy

(The following article is excerpted from the upcoming issue of Libert@s, Rights & Democracy's electronic newsletter).

Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo hope historic elections will end massive rights abuses and impunity

Aningina Tshefu Bibiane would like to believe that the elections set for July 30 in her native Democratic Republic of Congo will bring a shift toward true democracy in the war-torn nation. It’s a dream the founder and director of the New York-based Congolese Women’s Lobby knows is distant at best, but democracy holds the only hope for justice for the DRC’s countless victims of war-related sexual violence, she says.

In more than 10 years of armed conflict in the eastern DRC, tens of thousands of women and girls have suffered gang-rapes and other forms of brutal sexual violence carried out by combatants from the many armed factions operating in the area. Despite widespread hope that the transitional government installed in 2003 might finally bring an end to what Ms. Tshefu says is a “campaign of terror directed at women,” sexual violence continues unabated and those responsible enjoy almost total impunity.

“Women are treated like animals in the Congo and many of those responsible for the crimes against them are currently part of the transitional government,” she said. “As a result, women are involved in this election on a massive scale because they hope it will help remove those responsible for the violent crimes against them. It’s been difficult to bring them to justice up until now, but women are really hoping that the elections will lead to justice.”

However, with those believed responsible for encouraging the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war running for election, Ms. Tshefu said it is unlikely that the issue of justice for these crimes will factor into many campaign platforms.

“Who will talk about it when many of those campaigning are responsible for such crimes,” she asked.

Women in the DRC, however, are doing what they can to make their rights an issue in this election thanks in part to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and the DRC’s new Constitution, adopted in February, 2006.

Passed by the Security Council in 2000, Resolution 1325 addressed the effects of war on women and called for greater participation of women in matters of conflict resolution and peace-building at the national, regional and international levels. Efforts to see Resolution 1325 incorporated into the framework that established the DRC’s transitional government helped secure a central place for women in the country’s reconstruction. Together with the DRC’s new constitution, with its emphasis on gender equality, Ms. Tshefu says women in the DRC are taking full advantage of the elections to assert their rights, whether by simply registering to vote, serving as election observers or even running for office. Of the 33 candidates running for President, four are women. There would be more women running if they had the financial resources to do so, said Ms. Tshefu.

“At least it shows that they can participate,” she said. “Women now have a say in the decisions that affect them, they now have a place in the political system. But little has been done in terms of protection of women’s rights and access to justice – and we cannot establish democracy without justice.”

For this reason, grassroots women’s organizations throughout the DRC are focusing their advocacy work around reform of the justice system.

“If those perpetrating crimes against women and humanity are re-elected, it will be difficult to see any value to this transition to democracy if it is not accompanied by justice and security of the person. These are values women in the Congo hope democracy will bring.”

Ms. Tshefu and Rights & Democracy have collaborated on numerous women’s rights initiatives in the DRC, including the campaign to see Resolution 1325 fully implemented. A matching commitment from the Canadian government to see Resolution 1325 realized in the DRC would be invaluable to Congolese women, she said.

“Canada was a friend of Resolution 1325 and should be one of the countries pushing for its implementation and monitoring in the DRC,” she said. “Congolese women need countries like Canada and organizations like Rights & Democracy to champion democratic values in the DRC, especially the security of women, the rule of law and support for women who have been victims of violence. Canada is a world leader on the issue of protection and security and it should take the lead on this in the Congo.”

Ms. Tshefu also said the international community’s support for the work of the International Criminal Court in the Congo is also crucial to ending the horrific suffering of women in the DRC.

“As long as those responsible for war crimes and a campaign of terror against women remain the heads of state, we cannot talk about democracy. It’s a mockery. We have to end impunity first.”

More information on Rights & Democracy's involvement in the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo can be obtained here.

Steve Smith, Rights & Democracy