Montreal, December 3, 2024 – The Palais des Congrès in Montreal is hosting, for the first time in North America, the 5th Congress of the Mukwege International Chair on “Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflicts”, from December 3 to 6, 2024. Established under the leadership of Professor Emeritus Véronique De Keyser (University of Liège) and Dr. Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the Mukwege Chair serves as a platform for reflection, cooperation, and action dedicated to combating sexual violence in armed conflicts.
This event is part of a sincere reconciliation effort led by the University of Montreal (UdeM). Among the honored guests, Dr. Melchior Athanase J. C. Aïssi, Director General of the West African Health Organization (WAHO), emphasized in his opening ceremony address the importance of this event as a forum to discuss progress in health, women’s empowerment, and rights.
He highlighted global statistics indicating that 38% of women’s murders are committed by intimate partners, and 6% of women have been sexually assaulted by others. These figures are even more alarming in Africa, where 33% of women experience violence during their intimate relationships.
Humanitarian crises and confinement periods, such as those during the COVID-19 pandemic, have exacerbated this violence. This underscores the urgent need to invest in programs that integrate sexual and reproductive health as a cornerstone of the 2030 strategy adopted by WAHO.
WAHO is actively working through three regional projects:
- The SWEDD Project (Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend), financed by the World Bank, which strengthens service providers' capacity to address GBV;
- The DEMSAN Project (Demography and Sexual and Reproductive Health), in partnership with the AFD, aimed at preventing GBV and empowering adolescent girls;
- The regional project on “Reproductive Health and HIV Prevention,” supported by KFW, which promotes sexual and reproductive rights through a regional network of young legal professionals.
These initiatives reflect ECOWAS member states’ commitment to aligning their national policies with regional standards to end gender-based violence.
Dr. Melchior Athanase J. C. Aïssi concluded by reaffirming WAHO's commitment to strengthening collaborations to reduce gender-based violence in West Africa, acknowledging that “The proceedings of this symposium will enrich our knowledge and practices for a better future for all women and girls.”