Gender, Violence and Politics in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Jane Freedman is Professor at the Université de Paris 8, and a member of the Centre de Recherches Sociologiques et Politiques de Paris (CRESPPA).

• Introduction; Chapter 1 Gender Relations in Pre- and Post-Colonial Congo; Chapter 2 Gender and Armed Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Chapter 3 Sexual and Gender-Based Violence; Chapter 4 Gender and Peacebuilding; Chapter 5 Women’s Political Participation and Representation; Chapter 6 International Responses; Chapter 101 Conclusions;

’Amidst the plethora of reports and books on the Gender Based Violence in the DRC, Freedman’s volume stands out for its passionate concern to locate and properly contextualise GBV in the broader socio-political challenges facing the country. The book is a tour-de-force that reaches beyond the academy to present a strong argument for a revision of global social policy towards GBV in the DRC. A very powerful book that should be widely read!’ Nana K. Poku, Executive Director of the Health Economics and AIDS Research Division and Research Professor of Health Economics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa ’Jane Freedman makes us sit up and think hard about the pre-war conditions in any society that set the stage for - enable, encourage - men's sexual abuse of women once armed conflict breaks out. Her careful investigation of pre- and post-Congo gender cultural assumptions and public policies push us to take decisive action to confirm women's rights and to insure women's full citizenship before any guns are fired.’ Cynthia Enloe, Clark University, USA