Women united against sexual violence

Madrid, April 14, 2023. The Women for Africa Foundation (MxA), in collaboration with eLankidetza-Basque Agency for Development Cooperation, presents “Women United: against Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts”, a year and a half long project to be developed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In this way, MxA continues its line of work in the field of Women, Peace and Security, specifically in the fight against sexual violence in conflict zones. On this occasion, the main goal of the project is the development of prevention strategies. Despite the large body of jurisprudence based on the pronouncements of international criminal courts and regional human rights courts, sexual violence continues to be used as a weapon of war.

“Women United Against Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict” will be led by specialized organizations in the DRC, the “ground zero” of sexual violence in armed conflict, as well as in Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR). Caddy Adzuba, an activist, journalist and lawyer with more than ten years of experience in the fight to condemn and eradicate sexual violence, will be in charge of the coordination in the field.

Through structured dialogues and discussions, the women mediators participating in this project will be able to share their central role in documenting, investigating and denouncing these crimes, as well as in assisting and advocating for survivors, in order to develop effective strategies for sexual disarmament in armed conflict.