** Women’s rights and national unit: the double mission of Judith Suminwa Tuluka at Protestant University in Congo **
On March 20, 2025, at the Protestant University in Congo (UPC) in Kinshasa, a significant event was held on the sidelines of International Women’s Rights Day. Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka spoke before an audience made up of students and academic authorities to discuss the challenges of the feminization of rights and national unity in a context of security crisis. Far from being a simple speech, this exchange is part of a dynamic of awareness of socio -political and security obligations facing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
** A double approach: women’s rights and patriotic mobilization **
Judith Suminwa, an emblematic figure of the current government, has skillfully associated the struggle for women’s rights with the appeal to patriotic action in a population threatened by external attacks. By launching the “Congolese Telema” campaign (Congolese, she seeks to mobilize the living forces of the nation around the defense of territorial integrity, while pleading for gender equality and a deep reflection on the role of women in Congolese society.
This initiative is reminiscent of the historical challenges that the DRC was faced. Indeed, the country has crossed several crises, especially in the past two decades, marked by armed conflicts that have exacerbated gender inequalities. Women, often on the front line of the consequences of violence, should be considered not only as victims but also as essential actresses in the resolution of crises. Judith Suminwa stressed that each Congolese, whether man or woman, has the capacity to contribute to the national effort, a message that aims to be inclusive and mobilizing.
** National unity to test war and speeches **
In response to the rise of rivalries and political frustrations, Suminwa recalled popular support for Félix Tshisekedi in the December 2023 elections. However, it is crucial to note that the rates of abstention high during these elections (approximately 27% according to the National Institute of Statistics) left part of the population to feel marginalized. The Prime Minister therefore encouraged the “frustrated” of the political scene to wait until the next elections in 2028 while maintaining a firm line on the legitimacy of the current government.
This mobilization discourse is part of a wider framework. Historically, figures like Patrice Lumumba played a thermometer role of national unity by mobilizing around a story of the United and Sovereign Republic. Suminwa, although it avoids direct references to these figureheads, recalls through its speech the duty of vigilance in the face of destructive maneuvers potentially supported by foreign or internal interests. This is a double challenge: on the one hand, strengthen internal cohesion and, on the other hand, fight against division narratives which feed on local crises.
** A strategy included: towards a collective contribution to the war effort **
The Prime Minister also requested the direct involvement of students in the war effort. This approach has several dimensions: on the one hand, it aims to engage a youth which, by its training and its energy, constitutes the future of the DRC; On the other hand, it raises the question of collective responsibility in the face of national security. The subscription to a support fund for the war effort, which is addressed to the population as a whole, confronts the Congolese with their prerogatives as citizens. The open proposal, where everyone can contribute according to their means, embodies a form of civic patriotism which deserves to be inscribed in a broader civic education dynamics.
In short, the intervention of Judith Suminwa Tuluka at the UPC testifies to a desire to meet the debates on women’s rights with those on national identity and security. The government, aware of the challenges awaiting the DRC, must now articulate a strategy that takes into account the integration of women in decision -making structures. The issues are immense, but they testify to a collective ambition to build a society where everyone, regardless of their gender, plays their share in the destiny of the nation. Vigilance and patriotic commitment must result in concrete acts and not by slogans, in order to overcome current crises and to ensure a serene future for Congolese youth.
With this vision, Judith Suminwa is not only positioned as a leader, but as an architect of a unified, resilient and dynamic DRC, ready to face the challenges of tomorrow. This path to the inseparable unity of the celebration of women’s rights may well become the catalyst for a new national story.