The Dynamics of Women Candidates of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DYNAFEC) recently published a directory of potential candidates for the 2023 elections. , many political parties do not yet seem ready to respect the electoral law in terms of parity. Carine Kanku, coordinator of DYNAFEC, makes a plea for compliance with this law.
According to Carine Kanku, the directory has been filed with the Ministry of Gender, in charge of promoting gender and parity at government level. It was also given to international partners such as Monusco and UN Women, in the hope of receiving their support. More than 800 women candidates were listed in the register, and DYNAFEC contacted around 400 of them to inform their political parties of their intention to stand for election. However, no confirmation has yet been received from the parties, plunging women candidates into uncertainty and anxiety about their presence on the electoral lists.
Carine Kanku therefore urges women’s rights organizations, donors, the first lady, the head of state and women political leaders to mobilize and put pressure on political parties to present joint lists. She stresses the importance of the participation and consideration of women’s voices in the electoral process, in order to guarantee equitable representation and to benefit from all the skills of the country.
In conclusion, it is crucial that the political parties of the Democratic Republic of Congo respect the electoral law in terms of parity and include women on their lists of candidates. DYNAFEC calls for increased mobilization to make women’s voices heard and to guarantee balanced representation in the country’s political institutions