ELECTIONS-CONGO: A Lending Hand from Women in Belgium

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Denis Bouwen

BRUSSELS, Feb 13 2006 (IPS) - A group of 22 Congolese women living in Belgium will set out to do their bit to support women participating in elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo over the next few months..

The women have begun to raise support already for women in Congo, and are expected to visit the country from late February.

The first round of the elections is due April 29. People will elect both local and national representatives, and a new president. The election process is due to be completed by June 30.

These will be the first free elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo since independence from Belgium in 1961.

Suzanne Monkasa, one of the leaders of the initiative, thinks it is crucial that many more Congolese women make their way into the National Assembly, the Senate and the government. “Female politicians are not necessarily better than their male counterparts, but they do have other views and insights. A richness that is still being ignored too much in Congo,” she told IPS.

Last December, the Congolese population massively said ‘yes’ to a new constitution. Under article 14 of that constitution, the Congolese state commits itself to “mechanisms” that guarantee equal opportunities for men and women at all levels of government.

“Now is the time to make efforts which help as many women as possible to conquer interesting positions on the election lists and to get their hands on jobs where they can make important decisions,” said Monkasa. “This way male-female equality in Congo can gradually take shape.”

The Belgian-Congolese women want to express their solidarity with women working in the field. Gisèle Mandaila, Belgian’s federal secretary of state for families and disabled persons, helped bring the Congolese women together.

The women do not necessarily share the same political views. They just want to support women in Congo, both in capital Kinshasa and in the provinces.

The women from Belgium will spend a few days in the Congolese capital. They will then travel in small groups to the provinces, where they will spend six days.

“We have a pluralist group consisting of 22 women,” said Monkasa. “After our return from Congo, we want to maintain the existing group and even expand it.”

Belgium is closely involved in international efforts to democratise the country and create a better future for the large Central African country of about 60 million. A five-year war through the nineties involving rebels and troops from neighbouring countries left almost four million dead, and destroyed much of the infrastructure.

“Restoring the rule of law is extremely important in Congo,” Monkasa said. “If Congo succeeds in doing this, all the other things will follow and many issues will become open to discussion.”

“The women in Congo are already fully involved in the election process,” Monkasa said. “Our action is much more symbolic. We are planning to meet representatives of a number of organisations.”

On Sunday Feb. 12, they launched a campaign in Brussels “O Poni Mama, O Tongi Mboka’ (Vote for a woman to rebuild the country). Local celebrities attended the event, and the women raised a small amount of money.

“We might not raise much money, but once again, the initiative is more of a symbolic nature,” said Monkasa. “The money we will receive will be given to those who have the biggest needs.”

The women hope to train some of the female politicians in Congo. “The diaspora delegation will also be able to explain how a country like Belgium is organising its democratic process.”