Programme Nyota : un soutien essentiel pour les femmes incarcérées avec leurs enfants
In a country where detention conditions for women and children remain deeply alarming, Ius Stella has launched the Nyota Program, a new initiative providing regular food assistance to incarcerated women and children living in detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A holistic assistance program for the most vulnerable Launched at Beni Central Prison, the Nyota Program addresses an urgent and often overlooked need: ensuring that incarcerated women — and the children who live behind bars with them — have stable access to a balanced diet. The program currently supports 75 women and 9 children, including 13 pregnant women and 9 mothers accompanied by their children. Three times a week, two volunteer cooks visit the prison to prepare three daily meals for these women and children. On other days, lunch boxes are distributed to ensure continuity of care and nutrition. Whenever possible, surplus food is also redistributed to ill detainees, easing some of the daily hardships faced by the most vulnerable. In its first month alone, the program delivered 1,208 meals, directly improving the health and well-being of its beneficiaries. A commitment to justice and dignity Since its inception, Ius Stella has advocated for the rights of the most vulnerable — especially incarcerated women and children — through concrete actions that promote access to justice and more humane living conditions in detention. In addition to the food program, Ius Stella has launched a free legal aid initiative within Beni Central Prison, providing legal consultations to women in detention and assisting them in navigating their legal cases. The Nyota Program is just the beginning of a broader effort to restore dignity in the Congolese justice system. Ius Stella calls on public institutions, humanitarian actors, and civil society to join forces in strengthening access to adequate food, medical care, and legal support for incarcerated women, a population far too often neglected. END 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. Join us today
Ius Stella étend son programme d'aide juridique à l’Est de la RDC et
After launching its legal aid program in Kinshasa in 2020, Ius Stella is officially expanding its activities to Kangbayi Prison in Beni, North Kivu province. The initiative began with the organization of free legal consultations for women currently in detention. A local team of five volunteer lawyers visited the prison to assess the legal situation of the female detainees. Of the 74 women currently incarcerated, 54 have already received their first free legal consultation. “We saw what happened in Kinshasa during the jailbreak attempt. We saw what happened in Goma after the M23 takeover. In every crisis, it is always women and children who pay the highest price.In Beni, we chose to act before the irreparable happens again. So that innocent women are no longer locked up, forgotten, and sacrificed in silence,” said Jessica Ilunga, founder of Ius Stella. This program aims to address the systemic barriers that limit incarcerated women’s access to legal support, a population often neglected due to the complexity of legal procedures and a lack of resources. Through these free consultations, Ius Stella provides personalized legal assistance to uphold the rights of detained women and help them find appropriate legal solutions. Legal support is provided by a network of qualified lawyers from the North Kivu Bar Association and is designed to: Help detainees better understand their rights and the legal process; Identify cases of arbitrary or unlawful detention; Explore alternatives to incarceration, especially for women detained with their children; Represent women during their court hearings. This initiative is part of a broader effort to ensure fair and accessible justice within the country’s prisons, where women face particularly harsh conditions. Ius Stella seeks to reduce inequalities and discrimination in the criminal justice system and ensure that every woman, regardless of her circumstances, has the right to defend herself before the law. END 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. Join us today
Opération Ndobo en RDC : Ius Stella alerte sur les violations massives des droits humains
In a report released this month, the organization Ius Stella denounces the alarming consequences of Operation Ndobo, launched in December 2024 by the Congolese Ministry of the Interior. Officially aimed at combating urban crime and the so-called “Kuluna” phenomenon, the operation quickly turned into a campaign of mass arrests, disproportionately targeting street-involved youth, including minors. Since the lifting of the moratorium on executions in March 2024, the Democratic Republic of Congo has returned to practices of extreme gravity, undermining the most fundamental principles of justice. Ius Stella’s report highlights systematic violations of the right to a fair trial: civilians tried before military courts, lack of legal representation, collective sentencing, manipulation of minors’ ages, and the transfer of detainees to remote prisons before final judgment. Several documented cases in the report illustrate this downward spiral, including that of Dieumerci Ndombasi Kiala, a choir singer arrested in December 2024 without apparent cause and tried without legal counsel within five days. He was transferred to Angenga military prison in the Mongala province, where detention conditions now threaten his life. Another case is that of Samuel, a 17-year-old orphan living on the streets, arrested for “vagrancy” and later charged with “terrorism” without evidence. He was only acquitted after the intervention of a lawyer appointed by the NGO “Les Anges Écoliers”, whose reintegration program he was enrolled in. All detainees, including those not sentenced to death, are being held in inhuman and degrading conditions: extreme overcrowding, lack of food, drinking water, and medical care, exposure to violence, and complete isolation. Some, although not formally sentenced to death, may die in detention. This situation would amount to extrajudicial executions. Ius Stella urgently calls on the Congolese authorities to immediately suspend all scheduled executions, to review all convictions handed down under Operation Ndobo, and to ensure that all detainees have effective access to legal defense. The organization also urges urgent improvements in detention conditions and strengthened protections for minors, in line with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national and international obligations. END You can download the full report here. Join us today
La Fondatrice de Ius Stella reçoit la prestigieuse bourse Echoing Green 2024
Jessica Ilunga will receive funding and leadership support to advance access to justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ius Stella’s Founder and CEO, Jessica T. Ilunga, has been selected as a 2024 Echoing Green Fellow. One of 44 Fellows chosen by a leader in the field of social innovation, Jessica will receive an $80,000 stipend, as well as leadership development to support Ius Stella’s growth as an innovative solution to address the lack of access to justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo.. Fellows join a lifelong support community of innovative thinkers, strategic partners, and industry peers. Since 1987, Echoing Green has identified nearly 1,000 leaders launching new social enterprises and equipped them with the support and networks. The organization has accelerated the work of some of the world’s best and brightest social innovators. Previous Fellows include former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama (’91); political commentator Van Jones (’94); co-founders of national health movement GirlTrek, T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison (’13); and founder and chief executive officer of climate technology startup BlocPower, Donnel Baird (’12). “From the planet’s hottest year yet, to ongoing global threats to democracy, to backsliding on hard-fought progress on racial equity — these are challenging times. We need bold solutions now for these and other significant challenges. These new Fellows are meeting this moment with a level of brilliance, care, and passion that gives me renewed hope for our collective future,” said Echoing Green President Cheryl L. Dorsey. “This support comes at a pivotal moment for us. Thanks to Echoing Green, we’ll be able to strengthen our capacity to act, build meaningful partnerships, and amplify the voices of those too often forgotten by the justice system,” said Jessica. The 2024 Fellows were selected through Echoing Green’s open call application and participatory grantmaking process after reviewing 2,100 applications. The 2024 Fellows class includes representation from 21 countries including the United States, Nigeria, India, Australia, Germany, Colombia, and Kenya. The newest Fellows are launching and growing innovative solutions to addressing racial and economic inequality, disparities in access to healthcare, and creating new opportunities for inclusive education. This is the fourth and final cohort of Fellows supported by the Racial Equity Philanthropic Fund. To learn more about Echoing Green Fellows, visit this page. END About Echoing Green For 37 years, Echoing Green has been on the front lines of solving the world’s biggest problems, raising up the transformational leaders willing to speak truth to power and challenge the status quo. The organization finds emerging leaders with the best ideas for social innovation as early as possible and sets them on a path to lifelong impact. Echoing Green’s community of nearly 1,000 social innovators includes past Fellows such as First Lady Michelle Obama and the founders of Teach For America, Center for Black Innovation, BlocPower, and One Acre Fund. Built and refined over three decades, Echoing Green discovers tomorrow’s leaders today, and then funds, connects, and supports a new generation of social impact leaders. www.echoinggreen.org 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. Join us today
16 Jours d’Activisme: Une campagne engagée pour les femmes en détention
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: The formal recognition of the specific situation of incarcerated women, to adapt prison policies to their needs; Systematic data collection on women in detention to inform reform efforts and public policy; The expansion of free legal aid initiatives to ensure equal access to justice; 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. END 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. Join us today