Women’s economic empowerment is a factor for peace

This year, the theme chosen for the celebration of International Women’s Day on 8 March 2025 is ‘For all women and girls: rights, equality and empowerment’. What does this slogan mean to you?

It is a very comprehensive, unifying theme. It resonates with all women and with those of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, because it refers to everything they are fighting for. The rights of all women and girls, regardless of origin, social status, ethnicity or physical condition. Despite legislative progress, equality remains a struggle for the fulfilment of women. Finally, the empowerment of women and girls must enable them to gain access to economic resources.

Through your foundation ‘FAM’ and your involvement in the association Femmes d’exception du Congo, you actively campaign for women’s rights. What actions will you be taking in March, which is dedicated to women’s rights?

The Anne Mbuguje Marembo Foundation (FAM) is actively involved in essential areas such as education, health, the environment and the economic development of young people and women, particularly in rural areas. We work in the provinces of North Kivu, Equateur and Kinshasa. I am the third vice-president of the association Femmes d’Exception du Congo (FDEC) and president of the commission responsible for the economic development of women.

Within the framework of FAM, we are going to step up our interventions in the eastern part of the DR Congo, which has been the scene of a conflict that has lasted for three decades. We are going to provide our assistance in particular to women and children, who are the first victims.

As part of FDEC, we organised our first ‘exceptional meeting’ event on 3 December 2024, the first edition of which was devoted to ‘inclusive governance’. In May 2025, we plan to organise our second edition, which will focus on ‘the financial inclusion of women’.

We will organise workshops devoted to the financial inclusion of women, in partnership with banks and microcredit institutions. The aim is to enable women from different economic categories to have the basic information and the keys to structure and manage their finances, whether they are stay-at-home mothers, informal traders or young entrepreneurs.

You are a senator for the city-province of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Why did you get involved?

Politics is a powerful tool for driving lasting change, and like all Congolese people, I am witness to the many challenges facing my country: limited access to basic services, insecurity, social inequalities and, above all, the lack of representation of women in decision-making bodies.

My involvement in politics was motivated by the desire to contribute to change, but also to serve my community and defend citizens’ rights, particularly the rights of women and young people. I am convinced that our country needs leaders who are committed to building a more equitable society and that the participation of women in politics is essential to guarantee inclusive and effective governance.

What are the main challenges you have faced as a woman in the Congolese political sphere; how have you managed to overcome them?

My political career is still young, but it is true that like many wome I have had to face many challenges! Nevertheless, we should be pleased that in the DR Congo, even if socio-cultural barriers persist, women are overcoming prejudice and that women have been promoted to high-level positions of responsibility.

Since April 2024, the government of my country has been led for the very first time by a woman, Judith Suminwa Tuluka; more than 30% of her government are women. This represents real progress: Congolese girls have more role models to identify with.

To come back to your question, I would say that the biggest challenge is that of persuasion: as a woman, despite the positions and roles you may have held, the political arena is different. You must persuade, but you need financial resources because an election campaign is very expensive.

Financing is a major obstacle, as economic resources are still largely controlled by men. This limits women’s access to elected office and reinforces inequalities in representation, but we must not be discouraged!

You have faced opposition from another candidate. How did you experience this competition?

It is true that the biggest obstacle I faced was not a man but a woman, herself a candidate for the Senate for the city of Kinshasa. Far from discouraging me about the lack of solidarity between women, this situation showed me that women are politicians like any others!

They can be ready to do a lot, just like men, to win against their opponent. This reassures me, because women are not fragile little people… Now is not the time for division, but for unity for a fairer and more equitable representation of women in Congolese politics.

What are the issues, laws and reforms that you advocate for in the Senate?

I make it a point of honor to be the voice of the voiceless and to promote reforms aimed at improving infrastructure, education and the economic empowerment of women. During my senatorial campaign, I presented a project built on five pillars (security, education, salubrity, health and entrepreneurship) with access to transparency and integrity.

The Senate has nine standing committees. As soon as I took up my post, I made a point of joining the committee responsible for drawing up the Senate’s Rules of Procedure. For me, it was a way of understanding this institution in which I was going to evolve over the next five years.

Subsequently, being part of the ‘Monitoring and Evaluation of the Implementation of Laws, Resolutions, Recommendations and Public Policies’ commission was the logical next step for me, as this commission provides an overview of the work undertaken within the Senate, which is mainly legislative work.

You mentioned the dramatic situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It does not seem to be easing.

You are right, the situation remains extremely worrying. For three decades, this part of our country has been the scene of chronic insecurity marked by violence perpetrated by local and foreign armed groups. With the resumption of war by the armed group M23 in 2021 and since the end of January 2025, the M23 has taken the cities of Goma and Bukavu with the help of the Rwandan army.

Even today, civilians are forced to flee their villages, women and children are exposed to sexual violence and abuse, while access to basic services such as healthcare, education and food is limited. Food security is seriously threatened, particularly due to the obstacles to agricultural activities.

We all know today that this conflict is fuelled by geopolitical and economic issues and regional rivalries. After a deafening silence, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2773, which explicitly states that Rwanda is providing direct support to the M23 and demands the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Rwandan Defence Forces from Congolese territory, the cessation of hostilities and the dismantling of the illegitimate administrations of the M23, not forgetting absolute respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DR Congo.

We hope that the international community will act and guarantee the application of this legally binding decision. The Congolese people have demonstrated their strength and resilience, and we will emerge stronger and even more united from this ordeal.

Women, especially in the DR Congo, have played a major role in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Can you tell us more?

Congolese women, particularly in the east of the country, have always been key players in conflict resolution and peace building, often through community approaches, advocacy and mediation.

As early as 1995, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action had already emphasised the need to integrate a gender approach into conflict management. Prior to 2000, few peace agreements included a gender perspective or commitments to women’s rights.

The year 2000, the adoption of Resolution 1325 – which arose from the need to protect women and girls in times of war but also to guarantee their participation in peace processes –  marked a turning point with the official recognition of the role of women as actors for peace, beyond their situation as victims of conflict.

Peace and security cannot be fully achieved without the involvement of women; we know that the participation of women increases the chances of a lasting peace.

What could be the contribution of Congolese women now in the face of the situation prevailing in the East?

The contribution of women is not the same during the conflict as it is after the conflict, but whatever the period, it can be realised at several levels.

For example, women can advocate for peace by raising awareness among local populations and the international community of the need for peaceful and lasting solutions. They are also very good mediators, and have special access to families, communities and sometimes even armed groups, which can enable them to act in the prevention and resolution of conflicts.

In addition, they are often on the front line in helping the victims of conflict, particularly displaced persons, orphans and survivors of sexual violence. They can organise psychological and legal support networks for survivors of violence and develop community initiatives to strengthen the resilience of women and young people to the trauma of conflict.

I would add that the economic empowerment of women is a key factor in stabilising regions in conflict. By supporting local economic initiatives, women can encourage reconstruction projects based on the local economy and train other women and young people in income-generating activities to reduce their vulnerability to the recruitment of young people by armed groups.

Finally, as mothers, teachers and community leaders, women can educate in a different way, by raising young people’s awareness of the values of peace and tolerance, and by encouraging the enrolment of girls and boys in school in order to offer them prospects far removed from violence.

Brief biography:

Anne Mbuguje Marembo, born in Mbuji-Mayi in the DR Congo, is a Congolese politician and businesswoman. She is currently a senator, elected on 29 April 2024 to represent Kinshasa under the banner of the AVC-A political group.

Holder of several degrees including a Master’s in Business Administration with a specialisation in finance from Webster Graduate School in London, a law degree from the Université libre de Bruxelles in 1994 and a Bachelor’s in law and international relations from the University of Richmond in 1997.

Her professional career began in 2000 at J.P. Morgan & Co. in London. In 2006, she returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and joined the banking sector: as commercial director of BIAC (Banque internationale pour l’Afrique au Congo). She rose through the ranks to become acting managing director in 2016. In parallel with her banking career, she became involved in the public sector. In December 2016, she was appointed Chief of Staff to the Minister of State for the Budget, a position she held until September 2019.

Mbuguje Anne is committed to the promotion of women’s rights and the socio-economic development of her country. She is the mother of two children.