From November 25 to December 10, 2023, Ius Stella led a campaign combining legal awareness and free legal consultations for women incarcerated at Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa, as part of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
Women in detention: the forgotten voices of the 16 Days
Violence against women and girls remains the most widespread human rights violation worldwide. According to UN Women, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has one of the highest rates of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the world, with over 50% of Congolese women having experienced physical violence at some point in their lives.
Among the most vulnerable are women deprived of their liberty. In detention, they are exposed to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, made worse by overcrowding, isolation, and lack of appropriate resources. Yet, their stories are often absent from national and international conversations on gender-based violence.
To address this silence, Ius Stella launched a dedicated campaign during the 16 Days of Activism, offering legal education sessions and free legal consultations to incarcerated women – a population too often overlooked.
Victims of a broken system
At the start of the campaign, 328 women were being held at Makala Central Prison, as well as 20 children under the age of five living behind bars with their mothers.
Our volunteer lawyers and law students conducted five legal awareness sessions, reaching 207 women and informing them of their fundamental rights. In addition, 75 women with high-priority legal needs received individual legal consultations.
Our findings were alarming: only 22.7% of the women had access to a lawyer before their detention. Nearly 8 in 10 (78.7%) were in pre-trial detention and had never appeared before a judge. The average age of participants was 34, with ages ranging from 17 to 69 years old.
These numbers reflect systemic dysfunctions within the Congolese justice system – dysfunctions that carry wide-reaching consequences. Women are the backbone of our society, playing vital roles that extend far beyond the home into every facet of social and economic life. When a woman is unjustly imprisoned, the impact ripples far and wide, threatening the very fabric of our communities and collective future.
A remarkable mobilization of students and lawyers
One of the campaign’s cornerstones was the active involvement of students from the Human Rights Club of the University of Kinshasa, as well as two partner law firms: Shematsi & Associates and KMG.
Sixteen law students were carefully selected and trained on prison realities and the specific rights of incarcerated women. Equipped with this knowledge, they played a key role in educating detainees about their legal rights and helping them understand available legal remedies.
Their efforts were supported by dedicated lawyers from both partner firms, who provided quality legal assistance and case follow-up, helping to restore hope and dignity for many women behind bars.
Recommendations for a more equitable justice system
The findings of this campaign underscore the urgent need for prison reform to uphold the fundamental rights of women in detention. We call for:
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- The formal recognition of the specific situation of incarcerated women, to adapt prison policies to their needs;
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- Systematic data collection on women in detention to inform reform efforts and public policy;
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- The expansion of free legal aid initiatives to ensure equal access to justice;
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- Psychological support and humane detention conditions that respect dignity and international standards.
We urge judicial authorities, development partners, and civil society to come together — not only to right individual wrongs but to build a justice system that is fair, inclusive, and worthy of our shared humanity.
About Ius Stella
Ius Stella is a non-profit organization transforming the way justice is rendered, measured, and experienced. We started our work in the Democratic Republic of Congo where we stand with victims of systemic injustices—those whose rights have been violated, whose humanity has been denied, and whose voices too often go unheard. Our work challenges traditional repressive systems and paves the way for a new model of justice: one that is transparent, effective, and people-centered.