Julienne Lusenge
Expertise
Conflict Resolution and Peace-buildingDemocracy and Political Participation
Sexual Violence in Conflict
Transitional Justice
Women Human Rights Defenders
Women's Rights
Details
Media
WHO calls in experts to decide on conflicting Ebola sex abuse reports The New Humanitarian Mar 1, 2023
‘An absurdity’: Experts slam WHO excusal of sex misconduct AP Feb 27, 2023
DRC: Why the US has not appointed a special envoy for the Great Lakes The Africa Report Sept 8, 2022
UN warned of ongoing abuses against women in DRC audio BBC World Service Jul 5, 2022
Women at the center of Africa’s post-pandemic recovery Ventures Africa May 8, 2022
A Fearless Advocate Raising Feminists in Congo 2021 Aurora Prize profile
WHO ‘should pay reparations to victims of sexual abuse by staff’ Guardian Oct 1, 2021
Congolese Activists, Tired of Waiting, Demand Justice for Decades-Old War Crimes World Politics Review Nov 6, 2020
Julienne Lusenge on France 24 for International Women’s Day France24 video link Oct 2020
Julienne Lusenge (@LusengeJ) is a renowned human rights advocate for survivors of sexual violence in conflict. She is Executive Director of the Fund for Congolese Women and founder of Female Solidarity for Integrated Peace and Development (@sofepadi).
The Fund was established to mobilize resources for supporting grass roots women’s organizations in Eastern Congo. SOFEPADI is a coalition of 40 women’s organizations in Beni (North-Kivu) established to protect women’s rights and support sexual violence survivors by providing healthcare services, reintegration programs and legal advice to victims.
She was appointed in October, 2023 to the board of trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture. The fund provides help to victims of torture and their families. She is on the board of the Nobel Women’s Initiative.
She received a 2023 United Nations Human Rights Prize, awarded every five years since 1968. She was awarded the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity in 2021.
In 2021 she co-chaired an independent commission appointed by the director general of the World Health Organization to investigate allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by WHO employees during the response to the tenth Ebola Virus Disease epidemic in North Kivu and Ituri in the DRC.
She spoke on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “Women and peace and security” in 2015.
Julienne’s activism began after she experienced the grave impacts of inter-ethnic war in 1998, when members of armed groups tore through her community raping and brutalizing women. She began to publicly condemn and document acts of violence against women, challenging the leaders of armed groups using violence against women in conflict.
When she received a 2021 International Women of Courage Award from the U.S. Department of State, she was hailed for touching the lives of millions of women across the DRC. The announcement said Julienne’s vocal testimony had contributed to the adoption of international agreements such as UN 1820, which recognizes sexual violence as a weapon of war.
She was awarded the French Embassy’s Human Rights Award in 2012, and the Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2013 by the French Government, the 2016 Ginetta Sagan Award from Amnesty International and the 2018 Women’s International Rights Award at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.