Kinshasa, June 9th, 2026 (CPA). – The women affected by the ‘Mobondo’ phenomenon, displaced from Kwamouth in Mai-Ndombe, in the west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), have benefited on Tuesday of a craft bakery in Menkao, in Maluku, in the eastern Kinshasa, to support their empowerment, during an inauguration ceremony organised by the Ministry in charge of Gender.
“This artisan bakery, ‘Espoir et Resiliénce’ (Hope and Resilience), is intended to be a lever for the socio-economic reintegration of women forced to leave their homes due to violence linked to the ‘Mobondo’ phenomenon. It will offer them a concrete opportunity to generate income, strengthen their empowerment and gradually rebuild their lives,” has declared Micheline Ombae, Minister in charge of Gender, Family and Children (GFAE). “I applaud your courage and resilience in the face of adversity, as women’s economic empowerment is an essential pillar in the fight against gender-based violence and the promotion of their dignity,” she has added.
Ms Ombae has indicated that this initiative is in line with the vision of the President of the Republic and Head of State, Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, who has made the advancement of women and their participation in national development a priority of public policy. The Minister in charge of Gender has also led an awareness-raising session on gender-based violence (GBV) in the digital age, whilst urging women to remain vigilant against new forms of online abuse and harassment. This facility has been put into service by Ogawa Hidetoshi, Japan’s Ambassador