NEW YORK, United States of America, July 23, 2026/APO Group/ —
On 24 June 2026, Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), hosted a strategic event on peace and security in observance of the International Day of Women in Diplomacy.
In her remarks, Ms. Micheline Ombae emphasized the importance of fully integrating women into peace processes, stressing that their participation in negotiations is an essential condition for achieving lasting peace.
Held under the theme “Women, Peace and Security: Towards a Common Agenda in the DRC,” the event built on ongoing initiatives led by Congolese women to advocate for an end to hostilities and the establishment of sustainable and inclusive peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In June 2026, women leaders gathered in Nairobi during the High-Level Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Women, Peace and Security in the Great Lakes Region. On that occasion, they called for the effective and influential participation of women in peace processes, going beyond symbolic representation.
They underscored the need to systematically integrate gender perspectives into peace agreements and to rely on the National Action Plans for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 as key frameworks for ensuring meaningful, coherent, and accountable participation of women.
Discussions also highlighted the importance of establishing regular dialogue between women’s organizations and peace process facilitators, while developing monitoring tools to assess progress in implementing commitments. Participants further called for predictable, flexible, and sustainable funding for women-led organizations, recognizing that such support is essential for enabling women to fully contribute to conflict prevention, mediation, peacebuilding, and the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
Women Increasingly Engaged in Peace Efforts.
Since 2025, women in the DRC have mobilized with growing determination to advance peace in the eastern part of the country. Over recent months, they have intensified advocacy efforts and citizen-led initiatives, engaging decision-makers at national, regional, and international levels.
As part of this momentum, they officially presented their advocacy note to Ms. Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Francophonie and Congolese Diaspora Affairs. During her address to the United Nations Security Council in New York, she echoed and amplified their call for an urgent cessation of hostilities.
In July 2025, Congolese women leaders also brought their concerns before Ms. Sahle-Work Zewde, former President of Ethiopia, and Ms. Catherine Samba-Panza, former President of the Central African Republic, both appointed by the African Union as mediators in regional peace processes.
Real Progress, Yet Insufficient Representation
Despite these significant advances, women’s effective participation in peace processes remains limited. Within the Washington and Doha peace processes, women account for only 16 per cent of mediators, representing approximately one woman out of every six mediators involved.
This highlights the persistent underrepresentation of women in formal peace mechanisms, despite their crucial role in community initiatives, local mediation efforts, and social cohesion.
In response to these challenges, the Kinshasa meeting marked an important milestone in the mobilization of Congolese women. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to collective action by developing and adopting a shared, coordinated, and structured roadmap.
This roadmap includes coordination, monitoring, and advocacy mechanisms aimed at promoting the full, effective, and meaningful participation of women in peace processes.
Ms. Setcheme Jeronime Mongbo, UN Women Country Representative in the DRC, encouraged women—committed actors and peacebuilders—to further unite their efforts in promoting stability across the Great Lakes region.
For her part, Ms. Mwamini Rubasha Batumike, Programme Officer at the Embassy of Norway in the DRC, praised the indispensable role women play in peacebuilding efforts.
“Women in the DRC already play an active and decisive role in peace dynamics through dialogue, mediation, and their engagement in national and regional initiatives. Nonetheless, their participation in formal peace processes remains insufficient. Strengthening their participation is an essential lever for building a more inclusive and sustainably rooted peace process,” she emphasized.
These efforts also benefit from the support of Norway, Sweden, the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), and the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).
