16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence: UN Global Compact Network DRC and RawBank Host High-Level Conference to Drive Private Sector Action

On December 9, 2025, the United Nations Global Compact Network DRC, in collaboration with Rawbank Congo, participant and board member of the country network, hosted a closing conference for the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign. The event marked a significant milestone in private-sector mobilization to address one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s most pressing human rights challenges.

The conference convened key stakeholders, including UN Women, Vodacom, Bracongo, and several UN Global Compact member companies, providing a platform for dialogue, experience-sharing, and collective reflection on effective approaches to preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

The closing conference was closely aligned with the SDGs, particularly Goal 5 on gender equality, as well as the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact. It emphasized the role of the private sector in promoting human rights, fostering inclusive workplaces, and contributing to broader societal change. The Conference  was consistent with the broader UN "UNiTE" campaign theme of ending digital violence, which includes addressing technology-facilitated harassment, cyberstalking, and image-based abuse that affects women in the world of work.

Several UN Global Compact DRC member companies actively participated in panel discussions, sharing best practices and lessons learned. Conversations focused on concrete actions taken at both individual and collective levels within organizations to prevent GBV, promote safe and respectful working environments, and strengthen responsible business practices.

While speaking during a panel session at the conference, Jessica Webe, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network DRC, reaffirmed the Country Network’s commitment to supporting the private sector in promoting gender equality, inclusion, and the fight against gender-based violence in the DRC. She noted that in 2025, the UN Global Compact intensified its focus on eliminating violence in the workplace through its Forward Faster initiative and updated guidance for the private sector. 

Through the “We ACT” program, RawBank is supporting youth and women entrepreneurs while providing essential services like clean water (SDGs 6 and 8). This mobilization focuses on youth awareness as a decisive tool for reducing violence and fostering a more inclusive, responsible society.

The conference resulted in several major initiatives: the consensual inter-company commitment declaration against gender-based violence (GBV), the development of a multisectoral roadmap for 2026 actions, as well as the establishment of a “Violence-Free Ethical Companies” network, led by the UN Global Compact Network DRC, with Rawbank serving as the focal point for the banking sector.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an annual global campaign observed from November 25—the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women—to December 10, Human Rights Day. The campaign aims to raise awareness, mobilize collective action, and reinforce commitments to ending violence against women and girls worldwide. The UN Global Compact continues to use the Women's Empowerment Principlesas the primary framework, specifically Principle 3, which ensures the health, safety, and well-being of all workers.