Dear friends,

I’ve just met with my fellow Elders in London for our board meeting. Our mission remains to speak truth to power and promote solutions to today’s pressing crises. As a step toward peace, we called for the release of Marwan Barghouti, the Palestinian leader imprisoned in Israel for over twenty years. Many Palestinians refer to Barghouti as “their Mandela”.

We also discussed the conflict ravaging the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where critical minerals, essential to global industries, are at the centre of the violence that continues to devastate the country. Sexual violence has surged since 2023, with rape being used systematically as a brutal weapon of war to exert control over the population, particularly women and girls. Service providers that typically handle around 10,000 cases a year reported more than 22,000 cases of sexual violence in North Kivu province that year alone.

At my hospital in Bukavu, we care for women and children who bear the scars – physical and emotional – of this violence. But the situation in the DRC is not isolated. Women across the world are facing the same abuse – from Sudan to Afghanistan, Haiti and Myanmar. Not only do these barbaric acts often go unpunished, but they also remain largely undocumented.

While women often bear the greatest burden in conflict situations, they are not only survivors, but powerful agents of change. Their leadership, expertise and lived experience have been shown to make peace processes more inclusive and agreements more durable – addressing justice, human rights and the real needs of communities.

However, too often these contributions are ignored. As the UN Secretary-General’s latest report on Women, Peace and Security shows, the vast majority of peace processes still exclude women’s participation.

This gap is especially striking in a year marking 30 years since the Beijing Declaration in September and 25 since UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in October. The first established gender equality as a global priority; the second embedded it at the heart of international peace and security.

If we are to truly deliver on these commitments, tackling conflict-related sexual violence must be at the heart of our efforts. Survivors need not only medical and psychological care, but also justice, reparations and the assurance that such violence will not be repeated. This means holding perpetrators accountable, dismantling impunity and ensuring that international commitments are translated into concrete action.

As we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women this month, let this not be another symbolic date. It must be a call to action – to confront gender-based violence wherever it occurs and to ensure women’s full, equal and safe participation in shaping peace.

The participation of women in conflict mediation and peacebuilding must be seen as not only possible, but indispensable. Without women, there can be no lasting peace.

With thanks for your ongoing support,

Denis Mukwege