04/04/2016
Join us tonight for an event we are co-sponsoring!
Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority and Amnesty International USA present: "On the Front Lines of Women's Rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," a Conversation with Julienne Lusenge. The event is co-sponsored by the GW African Student Association, Sigma Iota Rho Honors Fraternity, the GW chapter of Amnesty International, Amnesty International Capitol Hill Group 211, and Amnesty International D.C. Africa Group. RSVP on Eventbrite to guarantee your spot: http://bit.ly/1Ui6MPE
Read Julienne Lusenge's bio below:
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Julienne Lusenge began her career as a radio-journalist, documenting horrifying sexual abuse and children’s rights violations at the hands of warring parties in Eastern Congo-DRC. When war broke out in the late 1990s, she and her colleagues founded an organization dedicated to defending and promoting women’s rights in eastern DRC: Solidarité Féminine pour la Paix et le Développement Intégral (SOFEPADI). SOFEPADI began with no funding; it was driven by the sheer will of Madame Lusenge and her colleagues to help women caught in the crossfire of war. Today, SOFEPADI continues to help survivors of sexual violence to access support and bring perpetrators to justice.
In 2007, Ms. Lusenge launched a second organization, Le Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises (FFC), which works to strengthen local Congolese women’s groups working to ensue women’s rights to physical integrity, economic justice, and participation in decision-making spaces. FFC also began with no funding, but has since received grants from all over the world. FFC continues to make incredible progress in areas including sexual and gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS, economic empowerment, and women’s leadership and participation in politics.
Ms. Lusenge has been an advocate locally and on the international stage for decades, making a difference in women’s and children’s lives wherever she goes. Currently, she is focused on seeking access to local justice for survivors of sexual violence in the DRC. In 2013, she was honored by the French government with the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honor). In 2015, she spoke in front of the UN Security Council, arguing for women to be included at the table for peace talks. Despite unimaginable hardships in achieving her goals throughout her life, Ms. Lusenge has become one of the strongest and most respected advocate for women and girls in eastern DRC and across the world.
Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority and Amnesty International USA present: "On the Front Lines of Women's Rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," a Conversation with Julienne Lusenge. The event is co-sponsored by the GW African Student Association, Sigma Iota Rho Honors…
