Canada’s responsibility in advancing women’s roles in peacebuilding and defending human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The conflict that raged in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from 1996 to 2003 was the world’s deadliest since the Second World War. Despite an official end to the fighting, violence and insecurity still prevail in the eastern region of the DRC, primarily driven by competition to control access to valuable minerals. The exploitation of, and trade in, minerals by armed groups and the military is causing serious human rights abuses against civilians. The most shocking abuse is the prevalence of sexual violence against women and girls.