‘’ Crusade against properties dispossession of girls and widows in Eastern Congo ‘’

Economic rights abuses of girls and women remain a common and great concern in Democratic republic of Congo like in many underdeveloped countries; According to many traditional/cultural norms,

women and girls are inferior to men and they should enjoy fewer social privileges than men. Thus, these retrograde norms are at the origin of practices of abuses and violences against girls and women, including abuses of their rights to property and inheritance within their communities. This is a gross denial of fundamental human rights faced by women and girls that often condemns them to live in conditions of total deprivation, with repercussions ranging from economic to social and cultural aspects.

The Constitution of DRC of January 20, 2011 in its article 34 stipulates that ‘private property is sacred’ and that the state guarantees ‘the right to individual or collective property’. In addition, this fundamental law decrees that ‘’ no one can be deprived of their property except for reasons of public utility and in exchange for fair and prior compensation granted under the conditions established by law ‘’

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (December 10, 1948) which the DRC endorsed

stipulates in its article 171 that 'every person’, both alone and in a community, has the right to property and that no one can be arbitrarily deprived of one's property. The Article 5 states that “No one shall be

subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

The Family Code (law no. 16/008 of July 15, 2016) has taken into account gender dimension; its stipulates in article 758 that "the children of the deceased, born in marriage and those born outside of marriage but affiliated him/her with during his/her lifetime as well as the adopted children form the first category of heirs to the estate. The surviving spouse, the father and mother, the consanguineous or uterine brothers and sisters form the second category of heirs of the estate and constitute three distinct groups. Paternal or maternal uncles and aunts constitute the third category of heirs of the

estate. It should be noted that in the event of death, the heirs of the estate are represented by their descendants.

Despite of these legal provisions, in practice, girls and women who lose their parents or husbands are likely to be at risk of being evicted from their family homes, having their important assets or livelihoods taken away by family members, which aggravates their socio-economic vulnerability.

It worth noting that women remain the most impoverished segments of the population in DRC.   Prevailing practices of properties dispossession of widows and girls are one of the barriers to access to girls’/women’s livehoods and their full enjoyment of their dignity, rights, empowerment and

wellbeing within their communities.  

Compounding their plight, despite existing numerous laws and policies into force that enacts gender equality, respect of civil, social and economic rights for all, trivialization, resignation, unequal gender norms, ignorance of laws and fundamental rights remain one of the main factors that contribute to amplify economic rights violations that prevent girls and women, particularly widows from fairly enjoying their rights and advance their dignity and wellbeing within their communities.

Concerned by the prevailing violations of economic rights of girls and

women, we, as GRAIFA (Groupe d’Appui aux Initiatives féminines d’autopromotion

= Group to support women’s empowerment initiatives) have conducted in South Kivu Province, in Eastern DRC an action campaign entitled ‘’ Crusade against properties dispossession of girls and widows in Eastern Congo ‘’ with financial support from Haella Stichting (Netherlands)  

Our campaign aimed at promoting economic rights of women and girls including rights to individual

properties and inheritance for their empowerment, self-sufficiency and well-being within their communities.   

Our intervention translated into action through seminars, informative and communication sessions for behavior change on the theme ‘’Ensuring women and girls’ access to individual property and inheritance as universal economic

rights ‘’

In addition, awareness and educative flyers entitled ‘’ ‘’ Let us respect economic rights of women and

girls. THE WIDOWED WOMAN AS A SINGLE HAS THE RIGHT TO INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY AND INHERITANCE! ‘’ were produced and distributed to traditional and religious leaders, actors of change, girls, women including widows, women gender activists, human rights defenders, awareness leaflets entitled '

According to the Deputy Mayor of Uvira, Mr. Kapenda Kik’y, who officially opened one of our seminars, advancing women’s and girls’ rights is a struggle that everyone should take ownership of. Certainly, there is some progress regarding the situation of women’s/girls’ rights compared to past decades, but much remains to be done if we have to significantly improve the rights and living conditions of women and girls ‘’

Our action campaign mainly allowed girls and women to acquire, improve and strengthen their skills on social and legal restoration of women and girls who are victims of abuse of their economic rights as well as on the legal means to address practices of dispossession of their property.

The following recommendations emerged from our campaign for action on women's economic rights:

-     Popularize lessons, knowledge on economic rights of women to retrograde traditional and religious leaders;

-Raise funds for wider awareness-raising sessions on the rights of women and girls to inheritance and individual property within deprived communities;      

-Pursue initiatives and efforts to educate women on the ways and means of claiming their rights to individual property and inheritance;

-Further popularize the Congolese Family Code among women and girls with a view to enabling them to better defend their universal economic rights;

-Encourage advocacy before state authorities and education of citizens in favor of the registration of children in the civil registry as well as the legalization of conjugal unions (marriages)

-Increase the number of education and information sessions on the economic rights of women and girls in underserved areas.

All in all, GRAIFA remains convinced that effective enjoyment by women and girls of their economic rights, including the right of access to income, employment, individual property and inheritance, is one of the fundamental conditions for ensuring their human development and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030!

We remain open to possible partnerships and/or support in order to continue our commitment and our work dedicated to advance the rights of women and girls, gender justice and an inclusive and non-violent human society.

Victorine SIFA PANDA, Chair, GRAIFA

Mamy Kabiona Furaha, Executive Secretary, GRAIFA

(mailto:graifardc@gmail.com)