In the Republic of Congo – and in the whole of Africa – gender-based violence is a very serious problem . We’re talking about physical violence but also verbal, sexual and racial violence. It is even endured by widows, who are held responsible for the deaths of their husbands and for this reason are subjected to punitive rituals.
On the African continent, nearly one in two women has experienced such acts of violence at least once and, according to a UNICEF report, three out of four women consider it normal for a man to beat them. In order to combat this malpractice, the Republic of Congo has an ad hoc national policy, while in Pointe- Noire and the department of Kouilou, the "Kutelema na kuniokuama ya ba kento" (Let's stand up against abuse against women) project is active. The goal of the project, which is sponsored by the European Union and the Italian foundation AVSI, together with several local organizations, is to promote the protection and empowerment of women.