Workshop sessions enabled participants to identify the various forms of violence women face during electoral periods.
Encouraging dialogue among all stakeholders involved in the electoral process to find sustainable solutions to election-related violence against women was the aim of a high-level meeting held from May 16 to 17, 2025, in Bangui. The objective was to shed light on the economic and socio-cultural barriers hindering women’s political participation and leadership, as well as all factors obstructing lasting solutions.
The event was attended by the Prime Minister and several members of the Central African Republic’s government, the representative of MINUSCA, technical and financial partners of the country, UN agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organizations, representatives of political parties, female parliamentarians, and women’s associations.
Dr. Marthe Kirima, Minister for Gender Protection, Family and Children, advocated for the elimination of violence against women during upcoming elections. “We must identify the main barriers to women’s political participation, define communication and information strategies, and target audiences to achieve behavior change,” she stated.
Workshop sessions enabled participants to identify the different forms of violence women are subjected to during electoral periods.
According to Gisèle Annie PANA, former Minister of Arts and Culture and participant, protecting women during elections is everyone’s responsibility. She stated: “Women candidates, women voters, electoral officers—everyone is concerned about the safety of women during elections. Even those who were electoral agents on the ground were subjected to violence.”
Bemba Maïtike, representing the Ministry of Agriculture, believes that enforcing legal frameworks will help reduce violence against women. “When I talk about the legal aspect, it’s because violence exists, but (…) there are very few sanctions,” she said, expressing hope—albeit cautiously—that the workshop would lead to legislative progress and changes in favor of women in the upcoming electoral process.
The dialogue concluded with the adoption of a joint commitment by participants to continue consultations and turn the recommendations into concrete actions.
Participants issued several recommendations, urging the government to take tangible measures to eliminate violence against female candidates and ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions. They also called for an urgent revision of the rules of engagement for United Nations Forces to optimize their response to reported assaults in their areas of responsibility. A monitoring committee, composed of both state and non-state actors, will be established to track the implementation of these commitments.
It should be noted that, in addition to its technical and logistical support, MINUSCA has allocated $1.3 million for the revision of the electoral register and is working with internal security forces to implement the Integrated Election Security Plan.