In spring of 2014, Genderforce initiated discussions with the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fund a fact-finding mission to DR Congo to explore and plan for the deployment of a longer-term programme in the region for addressing the occurrences of SGBV.
The fact-finding mission had one main deliverable: a quality assured Operational Plan (OPLAN) for launching a pilot programme in DR Congo. The OPLAN is an extensive and fact-rich separate document containing extensive references and several additional annexes, with in-depth guidance on how to conduct a DR Congo pilot programme running for a minimum of three years.
The overarching goal for the programme is to improve protection mechanisms for at-risk populations in the fight against SGBV in DR Congo. This goal should lead to the following long-term outcomes:
- Enhanced security in and around settlements of DPREs in DR Congo;
- Strengthened justice mechanisms to fight impunity in DR Congo; and
- Improved protection for groups and individuals that fight for women’s human rights and their full and equal participation.
Addressing the question of ‘who’ to protect was examined in detail during the fact-finding mission and is reflected in the OPLAN. A number of candidates had requested access to the proposed security assistance activities due to their current vulnerable situations, however this was deemed outside of the scope of the initial fact-finding mission.
For additional information about the Ngao Letu Programme, please download a Summary of the Ngao Letu Programme.