We are committed year-round to the fight against sexual and gender-based violence, and invite you to support our work.

Badilika in schools

Panzi Foundation’s Badilika program tackles the root causes of gender-based violence by driving systemic behavior change through the promotion of gender equality and women’s rights. 

During the campaign, the Badilika program team will visit 5 high schools in the city of Bukavu, where they will hold discussions with senior high school students on the campaign’s annual theme.  

Badilika also plans to bring together 1,000 community and opinion leaders from various neighborhoods in Bukavu for awareness-raising workshops. 

Open-house activities at Maison Dorcas

Maison Dorcas is Panzi’s after-care, transit, and community center, where many survivors stay after leaving hospital. At Maison Dorcas, beneficiaries will participate in various open activities during the 16 Days of Activism. 

As a prelude to the campaign, on November 19 a workshop brought together beneficiaries who practice therapeutic karate and their family members. Former and current beneficiaries were asked to assess the impact of sporting activities on their physical, social, and psychological health. Their feedback demonstrated how sports and martial arts can make a significant contribution to rebuilding self-confidence and preventing the risk of gender-based violence.  

During the campaign, Maison Dorcas will also be organizing awareness-raising sessions on the law and sexual and reproductive health for beneficiaries, with the support of a lawyer from Panzi’s legal clinic and a doctor from Panzi Hospital. In addition, an open circle with beneficiaries and select local and community leaders will be held to raise awareness and encourage the community to draw a red line against gender-based violence.  

Sustained community awareness-raising at Tumaini project sites

A series of awareness-raising activities will be carried out across the Nundu, Kaziba and Mwenga sites covered by the Tumaini project, to reinforce community knowledge of gender and gender-based violence, as well as the services offered by Panzi to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. 

During this period, a media campaign will take place, through educational radio broadcasts, to support communities and society in the elimination of practices that encourage violence against women. 

In addition, in the city of Bukavu, an open day on the new Congolese law on gender-based violence will be organized with members of the judiciary (lawyers and magistrates) and civil society. 

Mass activity in Kavumu and Bunyakiri

In Bunyakiri and Kavumu, Panzi cares for dozens of children, many of whom have suffered atrocities of various kinds. They attend school and are monitored by psychologists and psychosocial assistants. The campaign at these two sites will be marked by mass awareness-raising activities for the parents of the children in care, their teachers, school managers, and community leaders. 

Psychotherapeutic support in the SVS department

The psychosocial teams will carry out follow-up missions in the homes of former beneficiaries who, as soon as they have recovered, are reintegrated into their communities. Follow-up at home enables therapists to assess the former patients’ level of resilience, evaluate their reintegration and consider new therapeutic tricks for possible relapses. 

These activities are carried out with the financial support of PMU Interlife, Norwegian Church Aid, Les Enfants de Panzi et d’ailleurs, Global Affairs Canafa, Fight for dignity and L’Oréal.

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Although the right to a nationality is recognized by article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the precarious conditions in which some children are born prevent them from benefiting from civil registration within the timeframe covered by the free birth certificates.

To rectify this injustice, the Panzi Foundation is submitting requests for suppletive judgments to the designated courts, enabling birth certificates to be granted to children on an exceptional basis.

This is the first step towards enabling these children to enjoy the rights to which they are entitled as Congolese citizens.  In particular, they will be able to claim their right to schooling, even if access to schooling remains an issue in its own right.

The Panzi Foundation is committed to working with vulnerable communities, in particular to promote access to rights and education for children.

You can support our action: https://panzifoundation.org/donate/

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A total of 1,333 children received kits, which included a schoolbag, a school uniform, a pair of shoes, notebooks, pens, pencils, and mathematical instruments.

These children attend schools close to their camps, but most do not have the means to buy the materials they need for their studies. The kits provided by Panzi Foundation meet this need at the start of the school year to improve their study conditions.

The armed conflicts raging in several regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo are causing massive population displacements. Families leave their villages to take refuge on the outskirts of towns, where they remain in a very precarious situation, with no possibility of cultivating the land and no source of income. Panzi Foundation is committed to helping refugee communities, but the available aid is insufficient, and the needs are immense.

You can help by supporting Panzi Foundation.

This support for refugee children has received financial backing from Caritas Italy.

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 “If you show love to a woman who’s been rejected, she’ll take a completely different view of life. It’s a very simple thing to do, but it will give her the desire to fight…”. Dr. Denis Mukwege.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is in the grip of a complex humanitarian crisis that has lasted for decades. In the east of the country, endemic sexual violence has been amplified by recurrent armed conflicts, particularly in the provinces of South Kivu and North Kivu, where our mothers and sisters have been victims of atrocious sexual violence committed by armed forces and groups. The lives of many women have been turned upside down, causing desolation and trauma within their families. These despicable acts have tarnished the image of women in our society and have even created unrest and conflict within our households and communities. Violence against women is not inevitable; it can stop. Being a woman is not synonymous with rape, assault, harassment, or sexist remarks. Violence leaves traces, marks, emotions, and pain – some of them immense. It’s time to realize the extent to which violence against women destroys families, weakens societies, and irreparably diminishes our common future. These practices remain a violation of International Law and an affront to humanity, offending the civilized world’s sense of morality and decency.

Despite the persistence of these cruel acts, voices are being raised to denounce and fight alongside these women to defend their cause and enable them to rebuild their lives. No one is unaware of the efforts of 2018 Nobel Prize winner Dr. Denis Mukwege who, through Panzi Hospital and Panzi Foundation, treats these women victims of rape and repairs their souls. He fights against the violence that is at the heart of a system of war that is devastating our country.

His sense of compassion drives him to act desperately in the face of increasing injustice and cruelty. Thanks to his firm commitment and effective actions, thousands of women have already been given a smile and hope for life. Care for these women is also an integral part of this fight against impunity and for justice. Holistic care (medical care, psychological assistance, legal aid, and assistance with socio-economic reintegration) is provided to survivors who so wish. Nicknamed “the man who fixes women”, Dr. Denis Mukwege has demonstrated a great sense of self-sacrifice, sometimes at the risk of losing his life. The results of his struggle are visible. It is up to each one of us to ensure that his legacy keeps on living for the good of humanity. It is therefore clear that leaving victims with traumatic memories untreated or unattended is irresponsible and feeds the endless production of future violence. All it takes is for a minority of victims to become aggressors, and they in turn will create other victims, some of whom will in turn become aggressors. The care provided by the hospital and Panzi Foundation helps to prevent the onset of traumatic memories immediately after the violent event or to treat them if they have already set in. This care prevents the victims from suffering and creating further violence.

Panzi Foundation, through its Youth Ambassadors Program, amplifies awareness and conducts advocacy on behalf of survivors worldwide. Talented young volunteers committed to the cause of survivors have been working since September 2022 to promote and defend the rights of survivors around the world. They also raise funds for the care of survivors through Panzi Hospital and Panzi Foundation. I’m proud to be part of this great program and to voluntarily work to defend the rights of those who carry the hope for humankind and are indispensable pillars in every family. Panzi Youth Ambassadors aim to significantly reduce rape culture worldwide. Rape culture means denying that violence is committed by people we know. Rape culture means denying the reality of violence. Rape culture means considering rape within a community as not really “rape”. Sexual violence against women in countries at war and in conflict creates major challenges for societies. There are physical, psychological, legal, and socio-economic consequences. So, it’s not enough to provide better care for traumatized victims, we must also fight against all forms of violence, effectively protect potential victims, combat all myths and preconceived ideas about sexual violence, victims and aggressors, fight against sexism, inequality and discrimination within society, and do all we can to ensure that violence does not go unpunished.

Panzi’s Young Ambassadors definitely belong to this category of optimists who believe that new generations will build a world in which the level of awareness, the level of mobilization and the level of determination to leave no stone unturned will be dizzying to eradicate these evils that are eating away and destroying humanity.

Consequently, the fight against sexual violence is a human imperative and an absolute emergency requiring strong political will. It’s time to act, to show solidarity with the victims and to commit ourselves to the fight against sexual violence in all its forms. To lead this fight more effectively, we need a world that truly protects victims – a world where empathy and respect for the rights and dignity of every individual take precedence.

As a citizen of the world, I say no to sexual and gender-based violence. Together, let’s support survivors. Every gesture can count, every act of the heart can save.

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The Kalehe highlands have been a high-risk area for human rights violations since the outbreak of armed conflict in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Endowed with inestimable mining potential, this area is home to various armed groups responsible for numerous crimes, including cases of rape and sexual violence. 

Civil society actors in the area regularly warn of the unavailability of services for survivors of sexual violence. While the perpetration of sexual violence has not decreased, several non-governmental organizations  ceased operating in the region as a result of the prevailing insecurity. 

Panzi Foundation remains committed to the survivors and communities of Kalehe, and primarily implements its interventions in the area through Bulenga Hospital – one of Panzi’s “One Stop Centers” — which is in the far north of the territory. Through this project, Panzi’s activities will expand in the territory to the towns of Numbi, Shanje, and Lumbishi. 

Over the past several years, Bulenga Hospital has also organized mobile clinic missions in the high plateaux, in order to respond to the need for medical and psychological care for survivors and patients suffering from gynaecological pathologies. Despite these efforts, the needs require the availability of dedicated local teams trained in holistic care. 

Following an evaluative study and contextual analysis in the area, Panzi Foundation has set up a project to provide ongoing care for survivors, by trained local service providers and within local structures. 

Integrating a training and awareness-raising dimension, this project aims to leave the community with skills that will perpetuate the handling of cases of gender-based violence. 

The project is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through Norwegian Church Aid. 

Photo : Esther Nsapu 

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While we insist alongside many experts on the need to adopt a national policy and a holistic national strategy for transitional justice, integrating all mechanisms so that they are carried out simultaneously as far as possible (institutional reforms and guarantees of non-repetition, prosecutions, reparations, On December 26, 2022, the President signed the FONAREV law on the protection and reparation of victims of conflict-related sexual violence and of crimes against the peace and security of humanity.  

A few months later, at the opening of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 27, 2023, the President reaffirmed his commitment to implementing transitional justice in the DRC, undertaking firstly to submit the preliminary draft framework law to Parliament in March 2023, and secondly to work towards setting up an International Criminal Tribunal for the DRC (ICTRDC) or a Special Criminal Court and mixed specialized chambers. 

To date, the draft framework law has still not been adopted. It is therefore curious to hear the Head of State “pleading” for an objective that falls largely within his sphere of responsibility. Indeed, advocacy is the hallmark of civil society action, whereas a President is called upon to “decide”, act and create the conditions to bring his priorities to fruition. Yet to date, no official letter calling for the establishment of an ICTRDC has been submitted by the DRC to the UN Security Council, and no Congolese diplomatic initiative has been launched to work with a Security Council member state to draft a resolution to settle this issue.

Finally, on the occasion of the launch on August 2, 2023 of the Congolese genocide commemoration day, the President “encouraged Parliament to pass laws aimed at removing the perpetrators of crimes from access to positions of responsibility”, affirming that the old recipes – amnesty laws or integration into public administrations – enshrining impunity are to be forgotten, and expressing his wish to put an end to the immoral policy of granting promotions to those who should answer for their acts before national and international justice. 
Once again, the Head of State does not seem to grasp the importance of integrating institutional reforms into the implementation of a holistic national transitional justice strategy, when the most obvious link between transitional justice and institutional reform is precisely the establishment of a vetting procedure for state officials. Moreover, the President does not appear to be sensitive to the principle of consistency, having, among other things, taken advantage of the last government reshuffle in March 2023 to appoint 2 former warlords to the rank of Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, after having appointed, two years earlier, on August 7, 2021, a former member of the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie and leader of a militia, the Alliance de Libération de l’Est du Congo (ALEC), close to the M23 and Rwanda, as national coordinator of the Programme National de Démobilisation, Désarmement, Relèvement communautaire et Stabilisation (PDDRC-SS). 

It is in this context that we renew our plea to ensure that, like all peoples martyred by human barbarity, the victims of the mass atrocities committed over the decades in the DRC are entitled to holistic justice, including justice, truth, reparations and guarantees of non-repetition. Only then will it be possible to speak of reconciliation and complete the transition from dictatorship to democracy, and from war to peace. 

Denis Mukwege

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On Sunday, July 30, Panzi Foundation launched an operation to assist displaced people who have fled the massacres of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF-Nalu), a terrorist group that has been active for three decades in Beni territory, North Kivu. After assistance was offered to displaced people from Goma who were fleeing the rebellion of the March 23 Movement (M23) in the territories of Rutshuru and Nyiragongo, the intervention in Beni is the second of its kind in the province of North Kivu during the month of July. 

Historically known as a thriving commercial crossroads, Beni has become the preferred stronghold of terrorist movements responsible for numerous massacres. After the disengagement of several national rebel groups once active in Beni, the ADF terrorist group is still a source of terror for civilian populations.  

The ADF have been increasing their terrorist activities in the area since 2014. According to Mbau sector chief Lumande Paluku Remis, “It was in 2010 that ADF exactions changed, and in 2014 their strategy changed. From October 2. 2014, they began to slit throats. The very first person was in the village of Mukoko, a few kilometers from Oïha in the Beni/Mbau sector. And since then, this situation continues until today.”  The ADF massacred thousands of people in various villages, burning homes, hospitals, churches, and schools in the process. The survivors have been forced to take refuge in shelters in the town of Beni, where they are unable to carry out farming activities and face food insecurity. 

“The war came to destroy us in our environment, the forest. It came with killings against us Pygmies and against the Bantus. We didn’t have the strength to defend ourselves. We are now living in the village, having been dislodged from our natural habitat. We are now in the village and have nothing to eat. I ask the higher authorities to continue to support us in our needs as displaced people. I’m also asking for peace, because we’ve been living at home in our fields without any problems,” testifies a beneficiary of Panzi’s interventions.   

Panzi Foundation’s support provided food and assistance to 1,175 families who found refuge in Beni-Ville and 200 in OÏcha. While Beni-Ville provides some security for the affected population, Oïcha is still the target of constant terrorist attacks.   

Panzi’s intervention focused on the health of women and girls and food security for displaced people. 1,375 families received a food kit, consisting of 25kg of maize flour, 25kg of rice, 12.5kg of beans, 7 sachets of salt, and 5 liters of vegetable oil. They also received a hygiene kit which includes a pack of sanitary towels, 1 loincloth, 1 pair of babouches, 4 pairs of women’s underwear, and a box of toothpaste with a toothbrush.  

Their overriding need remains the return of peace and access to justice.  

This intervention is supported by Caritas Italy, with a contribution from AMADE.

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The results of the recent basic data survey1 carried out among patients of SRHR services in partner institutions of the project made it possible to explore the experience of these beneficiaries and to highlight these inequalities, which, due to lack of evidence, are often underestimated. As in most societies, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) included, the burden of responsibility and family planning in sexual and reproductive health rests mainly on women. Indeed, women are overrepresented among beneficiaries of sexual planning services (94.6%), sexual health services (95.3%) and HIV and other STI prevention and treatment services (93.7%), despite the efforts of health institutions and civil society partners to promote male participation and empowerment at these levels. Despite the fact that they represent the vast majority of the patient base, it is clear that they face many barriers to accessing care specific to them.

In addition, there are economic barriers. Women are more likely to face financial difficulties in accessing care than men. Not only are fewer women than men members of a mutual health insurance plan (7.1% of women versus 17.3% of men) or holders of health insurance (9.4% of women versus 21.2% of men), but more women than men report that their uncovered medical expenses represent more than 25% of their personal annual income (46.7% of women versus 38.4% of men). As a result, a large proportion of beneficiaries surveyed (66.6% for women versus 43.1% for men) felt that it was unlikely that they would be able to cover their SRHR medical costs if they were to pay for them. These economic barriers may have a central importance on access to SRHR for these vulnerable beneficiaries. In fact, more than two thirds say that in the past year they have had to forego health care due to a lack of financial resources. These difficulties of access have major repercussions on the health of populations, particularly on maternal and child health. As one of the women interviewed pointed out, “I am still sick because I stopped care due to lack of resources.”

Inequities in access to care are of particular concern because many hospitals require a deposit before care can begin, even for maternal health care such as childbirth, leading many women to choose to give birth at home, with all the risks that entails. Even when they are able to find the financial means to access services, their care experience differs greatly from that of men.

Whether it is their general experience, their perception of the behaviour of health care staff towards them or their satisfaction with follow-up care, the quality of the services offered to them seems to affect women’s access to SRHR services. Many beneficiaries report having no mattress or blanket and often having to share their bed. Several women also deplore the hygiene conditions, particularly in maternity wards, delivery rooms and toilets in the institutions, which they consider to be inadequate (e.g., lack of access to water, cleanliness, etc.). Others criticize the disruption of supplies to SRHR services, whose unavailability of access to equipment and drugs can have a major impact on the health of patients. As one of the beneficiaries pointed out, [TRANSLATION] “[t]here is a lack of certain medical

equipment … and some medicines that can facilitate the treatment of patients are missing and this can lead to patients dying or having to be transferred to Bukavu (regional hospital).”

The experience of women’s health care beneficiaries with SRHR from the TUMAINI project highlights the importance of addressing the various barriers that promote gender inequalities in health in order to improve the delivery, management, and accessibility of health services.

1 Data related to the quality and use of health services by SRHR service beneficiaries were collected through a questionnaire consisting of closed-ended questions (108 items) and one open-ended question with a long answer. The collection was conducted in two phases, from 6/29/2022 to 7/22/2022 (survivors and vulnerable beneficiaries) and from 9/13/2022 to 9/21/2022 (other beneficiaries). A total of 771 beneficiaries of SRHR services at four centers and mobile clinics at partner institutions responded to the survey.

About the Tumaini Project:

Implemented by the Panzi Foundation with the Unité de santé internationale and the Observatoire Hygeia of the Université de Montréal, the TUMAINI project, Santé et droits des femmes, des adolescentes et des enfants, support the activities of Panzi Foundation and Hospital. Born of the vision of Dr. Denis Mukwege and the contribution of the Université de Montréal, the project will strengthen services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and the capacity of the Panzi Foundation in four health zones in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, and three provinces in Burundi. The three main components of the project are improving the delivery and management of health services, improving the socio-cultural, financial and geographical accessibility of health services, and promoting health care policies, legal frameworks and services based on research-based knowledge. The project involves several faculties of the University of Montreal and integrates a transversal component of operational research. The Tumaini Project is supported by Denis Mukwege Foundation, Lawyers Without Borders Canada and Global Strategies.

From an equity perspective, the initiative is structured to reach the most marginalized and vulnerable people. In order to ensure longevity and sustainability, the initiative anticipates strengthening local resources and subsequently integrating environmental, gender equality an

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Lundi 17 juillet 2023, le monde a commémoré le 25^ème anniversaire de l’adoption du Statut de la Cour pénale internationale (CPI), une juridiction à compétence internationale créée pour juger des crimes de masse. Ratifié depuis 1998, et entré en vigueur en 2002, à la suite de la création effective de la CPI, ce statut laisse les Congolais sur le gout de l’inachevé. 

A l’occasion du quart de siècle de la ratification de cette juridiction, dite Statut de Rome, la Fondation Panzi a organisé un point de presse avec le professeur Jacques Mbokani, expert en Droit international pénal, pour soutenir les survivant.e.s dans la revendication de leur droit et pour sensibiliser la population aux mécanismes de la justice transitionnelle, incluant le traité de Rome. Le professeur Mbokani a souligné la faible vulgarisation du Statut de Rome dans de nombreux pays en situation post-conflit, notament en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) et a appelé les organisations intervationales et la société civile à prioriser la sensibilisation sur ce thème. Cela demeure fondamental pour que « les victimes sachent comment elles peuvent aussi contribuer à cette justice internationale pénale afin que l’on puisse finalement mettre fin à l’impunité de ces crimes graves que connait la RDC depuis des années et espérer contribuer à la prévention des nouveaux crimes », expliquait le professeur. 

Le mardi 18 juillet, une assemblée générale des survivant.e.s des massacres de Bukavu a été organisée afin de soutenir les survivant.e.s dans la revendication de la prise en considération des drames de leur passé. 

La ville de Bukavu a fait l’objet d’innombrables assassinats en 1996, au début de la guerre qui a mis fin au régime de Joseph-Désiré Mobutu. Les troupes de l’Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération (AFDL), menées par Laurent-Désiré Kabila, ont pris le contrôle de la ville et achevé des civils qui tentaient de fuir. Avec dans ses rangs des militaires venus du Rwanda, de l’Ouganda et du Burundi, l’AFDL a endeuillé plusieurs villes de l’Est du pays avant de progresser vers l’Ouest pour renverser le « roi du Zaïre ». 

Les survivant.e.s racontent comment les civils étaient rattrapés dans leur fuite par des militaires s’exprimant essentiellement en anglais ou en kinyarwanda et abattus sommairement. D’autres étaient exécutés dans leurs maisons. Le bilan s’est alourdi en 1998 lorsque le Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD), créé en par des dissidents de l’AFDL soutenus par le Rwanda, a fait usage du même mode opératoire. Le RCD est accusé d’avoir commis les mêmes crimes que l’AFDL. 

Encadrées par l’équipe du programme de plaidoyer Badilika, de la Fondation Panzi, l’assemblée générale du 18 juillet s’est concentrée sur le rôle de la Cour pénale internationale, et l’opportunité qu’elle offre pour lutter contre l’impunité des crimes commis par des groupe armées comme l’AFDL le RCD. Des experts de la Clinique juridique de la Fondation Panzi ont expliqué les piliers de la justice transitionnelle, notamment le mécanisme de protection des témoins avant, pendant et après les poursuites judiciaires. Cette assemblée fut également une occasion pour amener les victimes partager les histoires des événements traumatiques qu’elles ont vécues, et qui n’ont jamais retenu l’attention du grand public, ni de la justice internationale.  

En RDC, l’action de la justice pénale internationale est indispensable. Depuis les années 90, la RDC a connu plusieurs périodes de guerres accompagnées de violations graves des droits humains. Au vu de la gravité des crimes, dont nombreux sont qualifiables de crimes de guerre, crimes contre l’humanité, crimes d’agression et même crimes de génocide, la situation du pays nécessite une attention particulière de la communauté internationale.  

Les survivant.e.s de ces massacres restent choqué.e.s par le fait que ces crimes odieux soient restés impunis durant des décennies, malgré la disponibilité d’outils comme le‘’Rapport Mapping’’. Ce rapport, réalisé par le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies au Droit de l’Homme, répertorie plusieurs centaines massacres, de crimes de guerres et de crimes contre l’humanité commis en RDC entre 1993 en 2003.  

La Fondation Panzi mène un travail de plaidoyer en faveur d’un mécanisme de justice transitionnelle qui permettra la mise sur pied d’un tribunal pénal international pour la RDC et des chambres mixtes spécialisés, afin de traduire en justice les auteurs présumés de ces crimes odieux, et pour donner réparation aux victimes. 

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