Protecting Communities in DCR: Understanding Gender Dynamics and Empowering Women and Men

Oxfam’s protection programme in the DRC aims to strengthen the ability of communities to advocate for their rights, including the right to protection from violence and exploitation. Evaluation of the programme’s impact shows that in a situation where so many people’s rights are abused and violated, empowering women often means including and empowering men in
the humanitarian reponse too. It is also vital to take a sophisticated, contextspecific approach to gender and women’s rights, considering short-term, immediate needs, and longer-term strategic needs together.