The promotion of the rights of women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a subject of concern to many civil society actors. In this context, the organization Journalists for Human Rights (JDH/RDC) organized, in partnership with civil society and media associations, a round table on the promulgation of the law on the exemption of legal fees for victims of sexual violence in the DRC.
This activity is part of the Canada-world project: the voice of women and girls and aims to raise participants’ awareness of this initiative and encourage them to commit to the promulgation of this law by the Head of State.
The bill, led by MP Juvénal Munubo, aims to exempt victims of sexual violence from legal fees in order to facilitate their access to justice and reduce their isolation.
Although this law was adopted at the level of the National Assembly in January 2022, it must now go through a second reading at the level of the Senate. The participants in the round table therefore sought to identify the most effective strategies to advance this bill and called on the senators to deal with this bill at second reading without delay.
The speakers also asked for clarification on the scope of the law concerning the exemption of legal fees in the context of sexual violence in the DRC.
It is important to emphasize that this bill would make it possible to remedy the lack of access to justice for survivors of sexual violence in the DRC, which is often due to the legal fees required during the procedure.
In conclusion, this round table organized by the JDH/DRC and its partners from civil society and the media was an important step towards the promulgation of the law on the exemption of legal fees for victims of sexual violence in the DRC.