Françoise Mukuku DRC
It is imperative that we do more than pay lip service to our commitments.
I live in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am the
national coordinator of a young feminist group called Si Jeunesse Savait (If
the Youth Knew) that I initiated with some friends in 2001. I have worked as a
journalist both the radio and electronic media for 8 years. Currently, I work as
a Communications Consultant and I do research into reproductive and sexual
health, rights and general gender issues in collaboration with several NGOs
of the Great Lakes’ Sub-region. I am passionate about technology, reading,
travels and meeting people. I manage to combine my work, expertise and
personal interests.
I call myself a feminist because I spend my life on a daily basis showing
people that there is no difference between a man and a woman and for that
matter men and women should enjoy the same powers, have equal access to
resources, opportunities and live a free life devoid of all forms of violence.
One of our greatest challenges as African feminists is the impact of religious
fundamentalisms that is increasingly gaining root thereby threatening rights
we had fought so hard for. In addition, women’s economic independence
continues to be a big challenge because as long as women are denied access
to resources, they will not be able to make their own decisions.
have relevance to all women, we need to find creative ways of transmitting our
message and our work to women living in rural areas, or to women who have
no contact with or connection to the feminist movement at the moment. It is
imperative that we do more than pay lip service to our commitment. We need
to undertake more actions in communities, where women live the realities we
are struggling to transform, rather than the usual strategies of elitist speeches
and speaking to each other only. I also think we should consider ways to
translate our tools such as the African Feminist Charter in the major African
local languages to engage communities, but also enable more people to help
us refine it and our thinking of what is needed to effect change.
Personally, my contribution to feminist struggles is through my work in the
different spaces I find myself in. I started working at a very young age and
I have always made a point to fend for myself so that I would be able to
challenge or stand up to anyone who threatened my autonomy and freedom,
whether it be in my personal or professional life.
The one person who truly inspired me was my mother, in particular the way
she single-handedly brought us up, inculcating the spirit of equality between
men and women in us.
In order to shift the status quo, I believe that efforts to include and to employ
young women should be increased. In addition, if we really want feminism to
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