Julienne Lusenge

Lusenge was working as a journalist in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1998 when civil war broke out. She was a humanitarian radio broadcaster responsible for communicating health and human rights information to villagers in remote areas. Lusenge travelled throughout the eastern DRC interviewing women about their lives and sharing their stories in her radio shows. Over time, women began describing incidents of horrific sexual violence that they had observed or been victims of as the war escalated. Lusenge began documenting the sexual abuse and publicly condemning the acts of violence against women.[1]

Shaking hands with a soldier in Mogadishu

Outraged by the sexual violence against women in her country, Lusenge and 22 fellow activists established SOFEPADI in 2000. The group came together to bring the issue of gender-based violence to the attention of international organizations working in the region, including the United Nations. Their plan was also to assist survivors recovering from trauma, helping them to navigate the judicial system and bring the perpetrators of sexual assault to justice.[2] In 2007, Lusenge launched a second non-profit organization, the Fund for Congolese Women (FFC), which works to support Congolese women’s rights groups and help them secure funding from international donors. The idea was to create a financial entity to bridge the gap between international donors and local women’s initiatives.[3]

Lusenge is a senior partner for a new project in DRC with Media Matters for Women, a non-profit organization whose primary focus is on "bridging the digital divide for isolated women and girls in poor, remote communities in Africa who lack access to information about their rights and are at risk from gender based violence and deepening poverty".[4] Lusenge's advocacy work has expanded beyond the borders of the DRC. She is on the advisory committee of the International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflict Zones and is the Vice President of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).[5]

In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) appointed Lusenge as co-chair (alongside Aïchatou Mindaoudou) of a seven-person independent commission to investigate claims of sexual exploitation and abuse by aid workers during the 2018 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).[6]