Kindu, June 15th, 2026 (CPA).- The promotion of women journalists has been at the heart of discussions on Monday in Kindu, the chief town of Maniema, in the central-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), during a revitalisation meeting of the Congolese Union of Women in the Media (UCOFEM) for this part of the country.
“We have come together to plan actions for the revitalisation of UCOFEM/Maniema, a programme that will address several key areas, notably the fight for the promotion of women in the media, in healthcare by supporting vulnerable women and victims of various forms of violence, as well as supporting female candidates in the upcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” has declared Berthe Amuri Mbutu, acting president of UCOFEM.
On this occasion, a call for unity, awareness-raising and mobilisation was issued to achieve the objectives set for the development of women in the media in the province of Maniema.
A qualitative study by the Council for Audio-visual and Communication (CSAC) in Kinshasa had drawn an unequivocal conclusion: Congolese women remain trapped by traditional stereotypes in media productions. Despite their presence in newsrooms, they are relegated to ‘light’ or domestic sections, whilst the roles of experts, policy-makers or economic analysts remain predominantly male.
It is against this backdrop that women in the media are seeking to advance their careers. The monitoring of CSAC seeks to act as a wake-up call for the entire profession. It proposes concrete measures: a review of editorial policies, training for journalists in challenging prejudices, and the introduction of progressive quotas. The issue goes beyond mere media visibility; it concerns the building of a truly inclusive society where equality in DRC media reflects our common values.