A Fearless Advocate Raising Feminists in Congo
Julienne Lusenge is a Congolese human rights defender, co-founder and president of Women’s Solidarity for Inclusive Peace and Development (SOFEPADI) and co-founder of the Fund for Congolese Women (FFC), who has been supporting the victims of wartime sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for years. Her boundless courage and tireless activism have shone a light on the desperate plight of thousands of Congolese women subjected to horrific sexual abuse amidst the civil war in the country, exposing the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
Born in 1958 in Watsha (currently the Congolese province of Haut-Uélé), Julienne Lusenge was raised by the people who valued open communication in all its forms. “My father taught me to speak and to defend my ideas. I grew up in a family where it was only natural for my mom and dad to talk to each other, even if they didn’t agree. From childhood, my parents taught me to fight against injustice, not to see others suffer and go away,” recalls Lusenge. [Full article here]
