Katana Gégé Bukuru (born 31 December 1963 in the

Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

) is a Congolese activist fighting for

women rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

. She is also the founder of the SOFAD (Solidarity of women activists for the defense of human rights). Bukuru is known as the "Iron Lady" of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for her courageous commitment to the struggle for women's rights.

Biography

Eldest daughter of a traditional chief, she studied

social science Social science (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among members within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the ...

s at Université Lumière Lyon 2 and carried out research at the Center for Cooperative Training and Research, the Rwanda Association for the Promotion of Integral Development and the Pan-African Institute for Development. She has collaborated with many women's rights movements such as the Rien sans les femmes ("Nothing Without Women") group, the Women's Platform for the Framework Agreement for Peace or the Institute for Adult Development and Education in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

and Synergy of women's organizations against violence against women in

South Kivu South Kivu (; ) is one of Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital city, capital is Bukavu. Located within the East African Rift's western branch Albertine Rift, it is ...

. Katana Gégé Bukuru lives in

Uvira Uvira is a city strategically located in the South Kivu Province of the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Covering approximately 16 square kilometers and with an estimated population of 726,000 as of 2024, it borders Baful ...

, South Kivu where she founded Solidarité des femmes activistes pour la défense des droits humains (SOFAD) in 2001. The organization brings together more than 600 women fighting for social, economic, and political rights. SOFAD aims to protect the human rights activists and tends to ensure the respect of the rights guaranteed in the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the Human rights, rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN Drafting of the Universal D ...

. The association tends to provide help and support to the victims of

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...

and violence, notably by organizing workshops and trainings for women who are to become leaders in their field. SOFAD's mission is to train and mobilize women activists, enhance their participation to the protection and promotion of Human Rights, and facilitate the rehabilitation of victims of all forms of violence. The organization also fights against the proliferation of weapons in the Great Lake's region and in

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

widely. Her engagement in this fight earns her the support of

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

. The structure works for women's training and encourages them to create "peace cells" within their own neighborhood, conveying rights and hosting women based locally. On the occasion of the 2018

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...

, she is part of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

France's campaign: "Should one be a man to have a

Wikipedia Wikipedia is a free content, free Online content, online encyclopedia that is written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and the wiki software MediaWiki. Founded by Jimmy Wales and La ...

page?", which raises awareness for more gender balance in the digital space.UNESCO Twitter account in French
8 March 2018

Awards

For her numerous engagements and battles, she has received several awards. She was the first women to receive the

Front Line Defenders Front Line Defenders, or The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, is an Irish-based human rights organisation founded in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland in 2001 to protect those who work non-violently to uph ...

award. The prize was created for the human rights defenders at risks. * Front Line Defenders Prize, 2007 * Per Anger Prize, 2017 * Soroptimist Peace Prize, 2017

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bukuru, Katana Gégé 1963 births Democratic Republic of the Congo feminists Living people Democratic Republic of the Congo activists Women human rights activists Democratic Republic of the Congo women activists 21st-century Democratic Republic of the Congo people 21st-century Democratic Republic of the Congo women