The Overlap between Tradition Based Sexual Violence and Women’s under-Representation in Political Activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo

초록

Women’s participation in political activities is extremely low in the Democratic Republic of Congo amongst the lowest ranked countries in the political arena of the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender Gap. Similarly, DR Congo has a number of problems with the continued prevalence of sexual violence. Previous researches have studied the issues of women’s participation in political activities and sexual violence separately. In order to provide systematic understanding of both issues, this paper submits that sexual violence, women’s lack of participation in political activities and traditional beliefs are inter-connected. Relying on a Bourdieuan analysis of the concepts of Practice, Habitus and Field, Symbolic violence and power, this study frames and interprets the traditional beliefs in Congo which undergird practices of violence against women and at the same time, women’s exclusion in political life.

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