Beni: United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) police raise awareness among 500 students about the dangers of gender-based violence

Five hundrer students from the Higher Institute of Commerce in Beni (North-Kivu) have been participating since Tuesday, August 5, 2025, in an awareness campaign on positive masculinity and the fight against gender-based violence (GBV).

Initiated by MONUSCO police (UNPOL) in partnership with the local NGO “Tendo la Roho,” this training is designed to familiarize students with concepts such as gender equality, respect for human rights, reporting sexual violence, harassment, and child protection. Better informed, these young people will be able to identify different manifestations of gender-based violence in order to report or prevent them.

Congolese police officers specialized in this issue facilitate the awareness sessions during which they respond to numerous questions posed by students.

The student body president of Beni’s Higher Institute of Commerce, Esaïe Paluku, welcomes an initiative he considers “precious.” “As future social actors, we must be aware of these realities. Some forms of violence, although not sexual, remain serious and must be reported. This training equips us to become agents of change,” he explains.

Breaking the silence, encouraging engagement

For Ange Maliro, communication officer at “Tendo la Roho,” this campaign goes beyond simple information. She expects engagement from students whose activity and dynamism in Beni make them particularly effective advocates against sexual violence. “War and poverty expose young people, especially girls, to silent forms of violence such as survival sex. It is urgent to break the silence and raise awareness about male responsibilities in this context,” she notes.

This three-day campaign aims to lay the foundations for a more conscious, more engaged, and more respectful generation regarding the dignity, intimacy, uniqueness, and choices of others. This is one of the conditions for lasting peace.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mission de l’Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO).