Kinshasa, April 4th, 2025 (CPA) – The adoption of positive behaviours and attitudes was called for in order to build communities that promote gender equality, during a morning of exchange on Thursday in Mbuji-Mayi, capital of Kasaï Oriental, in the Centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on the occasion of the ‘Black Thursday’ campaign. ‘All stakeholders must adopt positive attitudes and behaviour in order to build communities that are champions of living together. These communities must promote harmonious coexistence between men, women, girls and boys, where equality, mutual respect and human rights are central concerns’, said Carlin Vese, community engagement expert with the Association for Family Welfare/Desirable Births (ABEN-ND). ‘Following on from the celebration of the first edition of National Positive Masculinity Day, and as part of the ‘Thursday in Black’ campaign in the town of Mbuji-Mayi, under the impetus of Placide Mbuyi, head of mission of the Association for Family Welfare/Desirable Births and Action plan for the mitigation of gender-based violence (Association for Family Welfare/Desirable Births and Action Plan for the Mitigation of Gender-Based Violence), the ABEN-ND is organising a series of events to mark the occasion; exploitation and sexual assault, as well as sexual harassment (ABEF-ND/PACT- VBG/EAS/HS) in Mbuji-Mayi, we recall that it is our collective responsibility to create an environment where the rights of women and girls are respected, where every person can live in dignity and security’, he added. According to Mr Vese, Black Thursday is a powerful way of showing solidarity and conveying a message of hope for a future that is egalitarian, peaceful and respectful of the rights of all. ‘It’s a movement in which everyone can once again take part, through the simple act of wearing black. It shows our commitment to fighting violence and bringing about a radical change in mentalities’, he said, before inviting men to join this movement of resilience against GBV, ASR and HS in the light of positive masculinity and femininity. ‘Men, let’s be together, committed to a world without violence. Thank you for joining this movement and helping to build resilient and hopeful communities in the light of positive femininity and masculinity,’ he said. ‘Together, let us make progress in the fight against gender-based violence and commit ourselves to transforming our societies so that they are fairer, more respectful and more egalitarian. This is a task that must involve all sectors of society, and every individual can play an essential role in it’, he concluded. Mr Vese pointed out that the ‘Thursdays in Black’ campaign symbolizes a shared commitment to eradicating violence and supporting victims. It is the commitment of a global movement of resistance and resilience, aimed at ending gender-based violence, discrimination and all forms of injustice.
The ‘Thursdays in Black’ campaign was born during the ecumenical decade of churches in solidarity with women (1988-1998), proclaimed by the World Council of Churches (WCC). During this period, stories of rape as a weapon of war, gender injustice, abuse, violence and related tragedies became all the more visible. But what has also become visible is the resilience, action and personal efforts of women to resist such violence. In the DRC, this campaign has been adopted by a number of civil society organizations (CSOs) to denounce and combat all forms of violence against women. ACP/