The fight against gender-based violence is one of the priorities of the Sama Lukonde government in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Minister of Communication and Media, Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, recently spoke about the involvement of his ministry in this fight, during an international conference on GBV, which was held under the high patronage of the President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi.
Asked about the ministry’s actions, Muyaya Katembwe highlighted the launch of the second edition of the Henriette Eke Media Prize 2023, a competition open to all journalists to improve the quality of journalistic production on gender-based violence and raise awareness. and advocacy on the prevention of violence in all its forms.
The Ministry of Communication and Media is a platform that offers a forum for expression for women and men committed to women’s causes and deals with aspects of communication and popularization. With this in mind, Patrick Muyaya Katembwe recalled that the change of narrative implies reviewing the gaze in relation to the woman. He also recalled the involvement of the President of the Republic, champion of positive masculinity, in the fight against GBV, stressing that the choices made by Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi in certain institutions and certain portfolios show that his government believes in the leadership of wife.
The government spokesperson then addressed the issue of positive masculinity by insisting on the responsibility of men in the fight against GBV. “Men have a responsibility, from their attitudes, their words and traditions on what becomes of the girl, the woman and the mother”, he underlined. Patrick Muyaya Katembwe concluded by noting that “fundamentally cultural work” must be done every day to combat gender-based violence.
The DRC has embarked on a major reform of its police to strengthen peace, security and the rule of law. Kasai Central, for example, has provided the police with 20 motorcycles to strengthen security, while the Congolese armed forces continue the fight against armed groups in the east of the country. The electoral mobilization in the DRC is also in full swing, with political figures who support the various presidential candidates of December 2023