Ituri: Training in Positive Masculinity to Prevent Sexual Violence – United Nations Peacekeeping

Report on Capacity Building Initiatives for Gender Equality and Violence Prevention in Bunia

Introduction: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals through Local Action

In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a three-day training session was conducted in Bunia to strengthen local capacity for preventing sexual and gender-based violence. Organized by the MONUSCO Gender Section, the initiative targeted seventeen members of the Mixed Technical Cell for Positive Masculinity (CTM+). This program directly supports the achievement of several key SDGs by fostering partnerships between international bodies, national governments, and community actors to create peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The core objective is to end all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls by promoting gender equality and empowering local communities.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The initiative aims to significantly reduce all forms of violence and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at the local level to combat impunity and support victims.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The project exemplifies a multi-stakeholder partnership, combining the resources of MONUSCO, the Congolese government, and civil society to achieve common goals.

Training and Capacity Development for Community Leaders

The training equipped participants with critical knowledge and tools to act as agents of change within their communities. The curriculum was designed to build a comprehensive understanding of the legal and social frameworks underpinning gender equality.

Key Training Modules

1. Foundational Concepts of Gender Equality: Participants explored the principles of equality, respect, and shared responsibility between men and women.
2. International and National Legal Instruments: The session covered major legal frameworks, including UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and other key instruments protecting women’s rights.
3. Promoting Positive Masculinity: A central theme was the promotion of “positive masculinity,” which encourages respectful behaviors such as shared income, participation in domestic tasks, and egalitarian child-rearing, as a direct counter to toxic masculinity.

As one participant, Évodie Madhira, stated, “From today on, I will commit more to showing [victims] that what they’re experiencing is unacceptable violence with serious consequences,” highlighting the program’s impact on individual commitment to advancing SDG 5.

Strategic Framework and Institutional Support

The Role of the Mixed Technical Cell for Positive Masculinity (CTM+)

The CTM+, established by the Congolese government as part of a national strategy launched in August 2022, is a critical institution for achieving SDG 16. Operational in Ituri since January 2025, its mission is to institutionalize the promotion of gender equality by:

• Conducting awareness campaigns on positive masculinity.
• Providing support to couples and families to build balanced relationships.
• Identifying and addressing household practices that perpetuate women’s vulnerability.

MONUSCO’s support through knowledge transfer and training is vital for strengthening this local institution, ensuring its effectiveness in a region severely affected by armed conflict where sexual violence is often used as a weapon of war.

Projected Outcomes and Community Impact

The beneficiaries of the training, who include teachers, lawyers, and representatives of women’s associations, are now tasked with implementing awareness campaigns in their respective communities. The long-term objective is to foster a sustainable shift in mentalities and behaviors to prevent violence.

Fabien Kasereka Kayembaku, a CTM+ expert, emphasized the importance of personal commitment: “We must embody the values we defend. It starts at home… Positive masculinity means promoting equality as a bulwark against violence.” This approach ensures that the principles of SDG 5 are integrated into the fabric of daily life, contributing to the creation of a more peaceful and equitable society as envisioned in SDG 16.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 5: Gender Equality

This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire initiative described, from the training organized by MONUSCO to the mission of the Mixed Technical Cell for Positive Masculinity (CTM+), is centered on achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls.

• The article explicitly mentions training participants on “key concepts such as gender equality” and “women’s rights.”
• The core mission of the CTM+ is to “promote positive masculinity, raise awareness about sexual violence and support families in building more balanced relationships,” which directly contributes to gender equality.
• The concept of “positive masculinity” is presented as a tool to achieve equality, valuing “respectful behaviors toward women, such as sharing income, participating in domestic tasks and educating children with a logic of equality.”

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The article is set in a conflict-affected area (Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo) and deals with issues of violence, justice, and institutional capacity building.

• It highlights the “alarming levels of sexual violence, particularly in areas affected by armed conflicts,” and notes that this violence is “sometimes used as a weapon of war.” Addressing this is a core component of building peace.
• The text points to institutional weaknesses, such as “impunity” for perpetrators and a “lack of support” for victims, which are challenges to justice.
• The initiative itself, a partnership between the UN (MONUSCO) and the Congolese government to establish and support the CTM+, is an effort to build the capacity of local institutions to prevent violence and promote justice. The training on “national and international legal instruments” further supports this goal.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The article clearly illustrates a multi-stakeholder partnership working towards common goals.

• The training and support activities are a collaborative effort involving an international organization (MONUSCO’s Gender Section), a national government (the Congolese government, which established the CTM+), and local civil society actors (the seventeen members of the CTM+, described as “institutional and community actors” including teachers, lawyers, and representatives of women’s associations).
• The text states, “Through its support, MONUSCO contributes to knowledge transfer and training of local actors,” which exemplifies the partnership model of sharing knowledge and resources to achieve sustainable development.

Specific Targets Identified

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. The promotion of “positive masculinity” and “educating children with a logic of equality” are direct efforts to dismantle discriminatory social norms and practices.
   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres. This is the central focus of the article. The training aims to “prevent sexual violence,” and participants commit to showing women that domestic violence (“if their husband hits them”) is “unacceptable.” The article addresses violence in conflict (“weapon of war”) and within the home.

2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The initiative’s primary goal is to “prevent sexual violence” in a region plagued by armed conflict, directly contributing to this target.
   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. The article mentions “impunity” as a major challenge and notes that participants were trained on “main national and international legal instruments regarding women’s rights,” which is a step towards strengthening the rule of law and access to justice for victims.

3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The entire structure described is a partnership in action: MONUSCO (public, international), the Congolese government (public, national), and the CTM+ members (civil society) are working together to “change mentalities and sustainably prevent violence.”

Implied Indicators for Measurement

1. For SDG 5 Targets:

   • Indicator related to Target 5.2: The article implies the need to measure the prevalence of violence. The statement from a participant, “victims don’t always report,” directly relates to indicators that measure the prevalence of violence and the rate of reporting. A relevant indicator would be the proportion of women subjected to physical or sexual violence who report the incidents to authorities (related to Indicator 16.3.1). The success of the CTM+ could be measured by an increase in reporting and a decrease in the “alarming levels of sexual violence.”

2. For SDG 16 Targets:

   • Indicator related to Target 16.1: The article mentions “alarming levels of sexual violence.” An implied indicator is the number of recorded cases of sexual and gender-based violence in the Ituri region. The project’s success would be measured by a reduction in this number.
   • Indicator related to Target 16.3: The mention of “impunity” as a major challenge implies the need for an indicator measuring accountability. A relevant measure would be the proportion of cases of sexual violence that are investigated and lead to prosecution.

3. For SDG 17 Targets:

   • Indicator related to Target 17.17: The article itself serves as a qualitative report on the partnership. A way to measure progress would be to track the number of awareness campaigns organized by the trained CTM+ members and the number of people reached by these campaigns, as mentioned in the objective to “organize awareness campaigns in their respective communities.”

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: peacekeeping.un.org