DRC: Several women reported victms of violence in Bukavu

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By

Byobe Malenga

Several women have reportedly been victims of violence in the town of Bukavu, South Kivu in the troubled eastern DRC. Some of the women were even stripped and harassed for wearing pants or mini-skirts, other acts of aggression having also already reported in the main arteries of the city.

A striking example of society today is the social network WhatsApp where the photos of women in miniskirts lying on the ground and surrounded by curious onlookers, have revolted netizens.

The concordant sources in our possession inform that more than 11 women have been victims of undressing and harassment in the city, their attackers relying on a famous rumor that has been circulating for a few days regarding the prohibition of wearing mini-skirts and trousers among women.

Prohibition of the first lady of the DRC?

To give credibility to their thesis, the defenders of this inhuman practice quote an imaginary decision of the first lady of the DRC. Still, Denise Nyakeru did not say anything. It does not have either competence or quality.

Not for the first time

This is not the first time these kinds of acts have happened in the city of Bukavu. In the same month of Women’s Day, March 8, 2011, 3 women in trousers were forced to wear authentic loincloths by a gang of boys who pretended to be members of the association ‘Forces vives acquis au change’ in the neighborhood. Major Vangu, Ibanda Commune, Bukavu City, South Kivu, on the morning of March 8, International Women’s Day. Armed with knives, sticks and scissors, these apparently drunk young men undressed the victims of their violence outside.

The acts that shock

The Organization of Civil Society and Human Rights strongly condemn these uncivil acts and asked the Congolese government to get involved.

Ms. Annie Malongo, Executive Director of CELPDH (Center for Studies on Leadership and Promotion of Human Rights), a women’s organization working to promote women’s rights, condemned with the last energy what she describes as “public rape” of which some women were victims in the city of Bukavu on March 5, 2019.

Annie says she is shocked to see that some ill-intentioned people have established a “popular law” banning the wearing of pants, dresses and short skirts by women in the city of Bukavu.

Byobe Malenga

Byobe Malenga has experience spanning more than 11  years in Journalism, particularly in field reporting, editing, newscasting and management. He is currently working with the BBC World Service as a reporter in eastern Congo DR for Swahili desk, Radio, TV and online. In addition to this Byobe Malenga works as a media consultant in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is also the multimedia journalist, as well as Editor of the newspaper ‘Journal FIZI DAIMA ’.

Malenga has already participated in several reporting missions on behalf of radio stations such as Radio Television Groupe d’Avenir- Kinshasa as well as numerous training missions, animation workshops and support as the strategic planning and operational. He has already made several trips to Africa taking in Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Lesotho, Namibia, and Mozambique, the Republic of central Africa and the Congo Brazza and South Africa.

He has worked with the media (written and spoken press) for several years in various fields such as production of commercials, jingles, magazines, newspapers and other emissions. He has capitalized on the valuable experience of working with foreign radio in areas of partnership, social mobilization around water points, the setting-up of committees, etc.