Kisangani: Nearly 20 years ago, when Charlotte Songue first arrived in Kisangani, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern Tshopo province, she was a young Cameroonian lawyer driven by dreams of justice and solidarity. Today, as a senior women protection advisor and gender coordinator at the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC, her name has become synonymous with empathy, determination, and quiet strength, qualities she embodies in one of the UN’s most demanding humanitarian missions.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Songue recalled in a recent interview how she began her career in the DRC in 2006, in a professional world that was mostly male. Her passion for international service was evident from her high school days, leading her to study law in Cameroon and human rights in France. Joining the UN system as a volunteer, she was deployed to a country emerging from war, yet full of resilience, where she felt compelled to serve her African brothers and sisters.
Her office is dedicated to documenting rights violations, assisting victims, training authorities, and advocating for gender equality. Songue describes this work as collective and deeply human, partnering with the Congolese government and civil society to ensure every person’s rights are respected. Her efforts have been challenged in some of the country’s most difficult regions, where she has faced logistical and emotional hurdles but knew that her presence meant hope.
Songue’s work has not been without its burdens. The weight of listening to horrific testimonies and the loss of colleagues have, at times, left her feeling powerless. Despite these challenges, her faith and family, particularly her children, have provided the strength to persevere, reminding her of the importance of her mission.
The tangible results of her work, like survivors regaining dignity or wrongly detained prisoners being freed, have been significant motivators. Through years of fieldwork, Songue has coordinated projects supporting victims and empowering women economically, witnessing their ability to transform pain into power. Her initiatives have helped women assume leadership roles in regions like South Kivu’s Ruzizi, where 57 women were appointed neighborhood chiefs for the first time.
Songue emphasizes the importance of engaging the entire society, especially men and boys, in the fight against gender-based violence. She advocates for men to take action by reporting abuses, supporting survivors, and questioning harmful norms. Her mission is deeply personal, as she reflects on the pain of victims and the joy of their victories.
Looking to the future, Songue envisions progress alongside challenges, such as strengthening the rule of law, ending impunity, and protecting civic freedoms. She believes that peace and justice must advance together. As the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women takes place in China, Songue’s message extends beyond the DRC, calling for the world to harness feminine strength to build peace.
Songue dreams of an Africa where gender is no obstacle, where girls across the continent have the same opportunities as boys. Her hope is for a future where being a woman is a strength, not a risk, and where every girl in Africa can grow up with education, freedom, and opportunity.