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Fighting violence against women necessarily involves an efficient and adapted legislation. Unfortunately, the current Congolese legal arsenal doesn’t allow for a sufficient protection of women against violence because the existing incriminations don’t reprimand all the violent acts that the women are likely to be subjected to.

The revision of the penal and family code undertaken by the government represents a great opportunity to reinforce the protection of women. It will allow to make illegal the violent acts that are not taken into account by the present code and to rewrite certain articles to make them better adapted to the definition of violence of a 1993 declaration of the United Nations.

On a civil level, the adoption of the law 073/ 84 of the 17th October 1984 about the family code of 1984 was seen as a considerable headway in the fight against domestic violence faced by women, especially widows. These women were subjected to a lot of abuse and had to endure mourning rites that were sometimes inhumane: head and full body shaving, coal powdering, food deprivation, etc. Thanks to the code, mourning rites can no longer be imposed on the widow. She can now agree to it voluntarily (article 800 of the family code). Under the family code (article 808), all the customs have ceased to be legally binding.

Abuse or ill-treatments subjected to widows during funeral ceremonies are punishable under the penal code (article 801 of the family code). However, despite these significant advances, there’s been no major reform of the penal code - dating from 1810 - to turn these abuses into a particular infraction. They are punished as violence and assault when certain acts are sometimes so serious that they can’t be considered as light violence.

Nevertheless, physical and verbal abuses, which are some form of violence, are listed under the causes for divorce under article 180 of the penal code. It would nevertheless be more sensible for the rewriting of the code to include the term of violence in order to encompass all acts likely to compromise the physical or mental integrity of the woman, including marital rape, when these acts are serious enough to justify the breakdown of the marriage.

Also, some of the provisions of the family code, ruling important aspects of the family life, are out of touch with the evolution of Congolese customs and are seen as factors encouraging violence towards women. It is the case for the notion of dowry provided for in articles 140 and 141. The code was indeed meant to unify scattered customary practices by prescribing common rules applicable to all.

However, a survival of customary dowry practices is taking place regardless of the law, thus making a mockery of its symbolic character. According to each ethnic group’s customs, and with the devaluation of the CFA Franc, the bride-and-groom-to-be pay a huge amount of money which later on creates marital violence, whereas the code sets the dowry amount at fifty thousand francs (50.000 CFAF).

We therefore recommend to the Commission in charge of revising the code, to achieve consistent regulations regarding the dowry issue: either by setting a reasonable amount, likely to be applied by all, or by supervising the practices of the different ethnic groups.

Likewise, the use of the expression “the husband is the head of the family” by the code in article 168, regarding the material leadership of the family, is often interpreted by men as a way of continuing unequal relationships of power between men and women, thus leading to violence. It would therefore be easier to reshape this article, mentioning that the task of ensuring the material and moral leadership is the responsibility of both the husband and the wife.

On a legal point of view, violence towards women is not a specific breach of the law. The protection of women only takes place within the general protection framework for all individuals against any violation of their physical integrity. This protection deserves to be reinforced, taking into account the scope of the phenomenon of sexospecific violence, i.e. directed specifically against women because they are women.

It should however be noted that it is difficult to include all the different forms of violence against women under one incrimination, considering their variety and different levels of severity.

Thus, physical acts of violence against women are punished by the penal code in articles 309 and 311 as voluntary bodily harm or as violence and assault when they are minor. The perpetrator risks either a correctional or a criminal conviction, depending on the severity of the aggression.

However, for a better protection of women, we recommend that the new version of the penal code includes, as a cause for increasing the conviction linked to the status of the victim; the vulnerability of the woman. Then, women could benefit from a similar protection as children, who, like women are considered as vulnerable.

Regarding moral abuse, the code in its present version, punishes verbal abuse (article 376). Verbal threats of violence or assault are only punished if they are uttered as an order or under condition (article 308). This punishment which is limited to these two actions is very restrictive as it doesn’t allow punishing other forms of moral violence that upset the victim and violate her freedom.

It is the case, for example, of arbitrary deprivations of freedom other than illegal confinement provided for in article 341, eviction from the family home or when the husband’s family, after his death, forbids the widow to retrieve her personal possessions, etc. It is therefore necessary to insert a punishment against moral violence of all forms when they are serious enough.

In terms of sexual violence, the penal code punishes rape in article 332. The perpetrators of this crime, which is the very essence of violence, risk hard labour. However, despite the registered sexual deviances, the definition of rape remains unchanged. Indeed, under the clause of the penal code, rape is the act of a man having sexual intercourse with a woman against a will.

It is essentially a sexual conjunction. Consequently, any act, other that vaginal penetration, isn’t considered rape. It is the case, for example, of anal penetration, even if it took place with violence. At the end of the revision of the code, we recommend that the notion of rape be redefined so that it punishes any act of sexual penetration, whatever its nature (anal, vaginal, and oral) perpetrated on another with violence, force or surprise. Likewise, the present code doesn’t punish the husband using violence to have sexual intercourse with his wife. Rape must be punished even when it’s conjugal, i.e. when perpetrated by the husband.

Furthermore, sexual harassment is not an infraction, even though a lot of women are victims of harassment as much at school than at work or at home. These harassed women are subjected to physical or moral violence that cannot be punished as mere violence and assault. The new code must establish sexual harassment as a separate offence.

Sexual aggressions, other than rape, must be punished as indecent assault especially when perpetrated with violence, force, threat or surprise.

Finally, the revision of the different Congolese codes is the ideal opportunity to reconcile the legislation with international standards relating to the fight against violence towards women. We should nevertheless stress that in order for the application of the future penal code to be more efficient, regarding the protection of women against violence, emergency procedures must be put in place in case of violence.

The slowness of the procedure gives indeed a feeling of impunity especially for the perpetrators of sexual violence. Rape, for example, is a crime that can only be judge by the Criminal Court. But the sessions are not held regularly.

Therefore, the prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes can only drag out, even when under the flagrancy procedure which is an emergency procedure. This felling of impunity is reinforced when the perpetrators are freed and waiting for trial after the expiration of the period of custody.

NGOs involved in the fight against violence must:

• Do an advocacy to the governments so that they make available to the law the means necessary for regular Criminal Court sessions.
• Do an advocacy for the government to adopt the implementing provisions regarding the law on legal aid, so that the poorest victims of violence can have access to the law, as legal procedures sometimes require some fees.
• Create centres offering legal support for victims of violence in order to guide them and help them through the procedure.

Olga Blanche Zissi Bintebe

Translated by Frederique Taylor

Le 25 Novembre de chaque année est célébrée la journée mondiale de lutte pour la violence faite aux femmes. Dans le cadre de la réalisation de cette journée, le gouvernement, les organisations non gouvernementales, et la société civile se mobilisent pour dénoncer les différentes formes de violence que les femmes subissent. Ainsi, les femmes elles-mêmes devraient se mobiliser massivement afin de faire valoir leurs droits au cours de cette journée et pendant les 16 jours d’activisme contre la violence à l’égard des femmes entre le 25 Novembre et le 10 Décembre.

Ici au Congo, après avoir effectué des appels téléphoniques avec des sœurs, des amies, collègues et femmes en général, nous constaons que la majorité ignorent encore même ce que veut dire le 25 Novembre. Ce la se matérialise par la faible implication des femmes dans la journée mondiale de lutte contre la violence faite aux femmes.

La journée mondiale de lutte contre la violence faite aux femmes est encore ignorée pour grand nombre de femmes au Congo. Bien que peu connue par les femmes urbaines, le pire est que pour les femmes rurales il est difficile d’être à la une de l’information, de s’exprimer, bref même de bénéficier de cette journée sans violence !

Le véritable problème se situe au niveau du manque de mobilisation communautaire à large échelle, mais aussi du fait que les organisations et les gouvernements semblent travailler uniquement avec les femmes dans les villes.

Moi-même j’ai appris sur cette journée à travers l’association dans laquelle je milite, sinon, cela ne me dirait rien. On vous répondra simplement quand vous posez cette question aux femmes et aux filles «  le 25 Novembre, je ne connais pas, .. vous voulez dire le 25 Décembre ? », etc.

Comment alors les femmes peuvent-elles dénoncer la violence dont elles sont victimes lorsqu’elles ne sont pas informées ?

La violence est un phénomène qui est fréquent dans les foyers, les ménages et dans les milieux sociaux professionnels au Congo. Les femmes dans les média par exemple on ce qu’on appelle «  la promotion canapé » dans le sens qu’elle doit céder son corps afin de bénéficier d’un poste supérieur !

Les conséquences qui découlent de la violence sont nombreuses. Cependant, certaines victimes préfèrent se taire et ne pas oser « trahir leurs patenaires » malgré les battues.

Les femmes dans les ménages qui jusque là considèrent la violence comme un fait normal devraient pouvoir réagir en les dénonçant aux structures appropriées. Ce qui est évident c’est d’entendre certaines personnes dire que pour la garantie du foyer et du fait de pouvoir élever ses enfants soi-même, elles se voient obligées de subir un châtiment de tout genre. Si toutes ces femmes victimes de violence pouvaient détailler les actes de violences exercées sur elles, ceci serait un moyen à la femme d’en découdre avec le harcèlement sexuel, les battues, la torture, la violence psychologique et sexuelle..

La lutte doit continuer et les femmes sont appelées à affronter la réalité pour aller de l’avant, se taire ne résoudra rien. Par exemple, elles peuvent prendre leur courage et chercher conseil auprès des cliniques juridiques. La femme doit conquérir sa dignité et ne jamais se taire devant un acte de violence.

Avec les média citoyens, il est possible pour elles de se sentir plus libres, de s’exprimer, de se questionner, et même de recueillir les avis des unes et des autres à travers les autres pays du monde.

Fini le temps où les femmes se sentaient inférieurs aux hommes ! Regardons l’ampleur des conséquences des violences dont nous sommes victimes par ce que nous sommes des femmes et des filles. Il faudrait sanctionner les coupables, les auteurs de violence qui continuent à courir les rues. La femme ne doit plus attendre comme hier, elle devrait chercher des solutions et aussi éduquer ses jeunes garçons afin q’un jour, ils ne perpétuent pas les mêmes actes de violence que leurs pères.

Notre activisme, c’est par l’information, car sans information aucun peuple ne peut survivre, et aussi les femmes ne pourraient en finir avec l’impunité des auteurs de violence.

Justice sera faite !

Blandine Louzolo

AZUR Développement