Advancing Women’s Rights and Access to Justice in the DRC: the Work of Nelly Mbangu

Being a woman activist in a region where armed groups often dictate the rules is an act of courage every day. Speaking out against violence can expose women to risks and threats.Yet some women choose to stand firm. They are on the front line of humanitarian action. They work to reconcile communities where conflict has created divisions.

Among them is Nelly Mbangu, a lawyer and human rights defender from North Kivu. She grew up in a region marked by instability. Her advocacy for access to justice and the protection of women’s rights inspires many women and girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In 2025, when the city of Goma fell under the control of the rebel group Mouvement du 23 mars (M23), she was forced to flee to a safer area.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, she agreed to share her perspective on women’s rights, which today face significant challenges.

For years, Nelly has advocated for the rights of Congolese women and children, providing legal assistance to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and supporting them in rebuilding their lives. She also coordinates Sauti ya Mama Mukongomani, a peace movement bringing together more than 30 women’s organizations.

Recently, she received the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law (2025), recognizing her continued efforts to advance access to justice and promote human rights, particularly the rights of women.

“I have always said that after violence, there is life. There is life, because I have lived it. I fought to become who I am today. I believe that after every act of violence, if you continue to believe in your strength and your potential, you never truly lose. After violence, there is life. And where there is life, there is hope.”

Despite policy progress on gender equality, access to justice, especially for women, remains challenging. Persistent insecurity, geographical distance, deeply rooted discriminatory sociocultural norms, poverty and the risk of sexual harassment continue to create barriers.

Nelly believes that justice strengthens democracy and the rule of law. Among the barriers to accessing justice in the DRC, she cites women’s limited awareness of their rights, linked in part to high illiteracy rates, weak enforcement of laws and insecurity that undermines the judicial system in certain areas.

In response to these challenges, she advocates for the use of transitional justice, a mechanism aimed at restoring the dignity of survivors and addressing impunity in conflict-affected regions.

Through the “Nakataa Ujeuri Kwetu” project, funded by UN Women, she has established groups of women human rights defenders. These groups now raise awareness among other women about their rights—strengthening collective action in the fight against human rights violations, including gender-based violence. Together with her team, Nelly Mbangu has also set up an early warning mechanism to document cases of violations of women’s rights.

Nelly Mbangu recalls that women’s rights are human rights. They should not only be proclaimed. They must be implemented. And above all, they must be lived by women.

This story was collected and written by Ephrem Chiruza, Communications Expert (DRC), as part of the regional campaign “Justice in Action: Breaking Barriers in West and Central Africa.”