This week marks the 25th anniversary of UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security – a landmark call for women to take part in preventing conflict, building peace, and shaping security policy. For Mensen met een Missie, this anniversary is more than just a date on the calendar. It’s a moment to reflect on how that global promise has come to life through the MAnU 2.0 programme. Implemented together with two consortium partners and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MAnU 2.0 translates Resolution 1325 into practice in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi. Our shared goal: to ensure that women and girls can live free from violence, have a voice in decision-making, and lead efforts for peace in their communities.
What MAnU 2.0 does
MAnU stands for Mwanamke, Amani na Usalama, which translates as Women, Peace and Security. The MAnU 2.0 consortium is composed of Mensen met een Missie (lead), CARE Nederland and SPR, as well as local partner organizations in Burundi and DRC. This 5-year programme (2021 – 2025) takes a holistic approach to building peace by addressing the root causes of inequality and exclusion. The programme strengthens the protection of women and girls from gender-based violence, increases their participation in decision-making and peace processes, and works to transform the cultural and social norms that sustain discrimination. It does so through capacity building, community dialogue, and advocacy at local, provincial and national levels. By connecting grassroots initiatives with policy influence, MAnU 2.0 bridges the gap between lived realities and systemic change.
This approach brings together formal authorities, religious and community leaders, men and boys, and women activists, to create change that lasts — from the household to the national level. “Women are not just victims of conflict,” says Gilbert Dhego, one of our local partner organisations in DRC. “They are peacemakers, leaders, and the heartbeat of reconciliation. The law already recognises equality; our work is to make it real.”
Change begins at home
Change often starts in the most intimate spaces. In Goma, DRC, Jean-Marie Kambale joined a training for men about equality; one of many initiatives that show how peacebuilding begins with equality at home. His story reflects a broader shift taking place across communities.
“Before, I thought I had to make all the decisions,” Jean-Marie admits. “The training helped me see that my wife’s opinions matter. Now I help with cooking, fetching water, even changing our baby’s diaper.” Later in the process, his wife Antoinette also attended the training. She smiles as she adds: “Before MAnU, I thought it was normal for men to do nothing at home. Now we both work for our family’s happiness. It’s a small revolution.”
By engaging men and women together, MAnU 2.0 helped couples redefine partnership and respect, building foundations for peace that extend beyond their household. When men begin to see gender equality not as a threat but as a shared value, change spreads through communities.
When women lead, peace lasts longer
What begins at home grows into public life. Across DRC and Burundi, women trained through MAnU 2.0 are now mediators, leaders, and elected representatives, showing how personal transformation fuels collective progress.
Among those trailblazing women is Béatrice Gasore, who got elected as colline (hill) chief in Bugendana, Burundi, with more than 90 percent of the vote. Her story reflects the self-confidence MAnU 2.0 helps to build in women who once doubted their potential.
“Before MAnU, I didn’t know that running for office was my right,” she says. “I learned to believe in myself. The night I was elected, I was called to prevent a suicide in the community, my first act as leader.” At first, Béatrice’s husband was hesitant about his wife taking on a public leadership role. But witnessing her courage that night helped him realise how his wife’s leadership could strengthen the community.
Further north in Goma, DRC, Esther Sivayasi Kyakimwa turned adversity into strength. After years of being dismissed for speaking out, she is now a respected mediator who stands as proof that MAnU’s impact extends beyond training; it transforms courage into community influence. “People used to mock me for defending women’s rights. After the trainings, I found my voice and used it to help others do the same.”
And in Uvira, DRC, Elysée Machozi Wabina uses her voice to mediate family conflicts and inheritance disputes, inspiring other women to claim their rights with dignity and determination. “Through MAnU, I realised for the first time that women have equal rights and that our voices matter. Some people call me a ‘difficult woman’ because I speak up, but I realized that being silent keeps us powerless.”
Together, these women – from homes to community halls – show how MAnU 2.0 nurtures leadership rooted in experience, empathy, and courage. Their stories are not isolated; they represent a growing movement of women and men reshaping what peace looks like in the Great Lakes region.
Building peace amid renewed conflict
The importance of this work has only grown. In early 2025, renewed fighting between the Congolese army, the M23 rebel movement and other rebel groups forced tens of thousands of families to flee their homes in North Kivu and South Kivu. Women and girls again faced the brunt of displacement, violence, and trauma.
In these circumstances, the local peace networks built through MAnU 2.0 – trained mediators, women’s associations, and “committed couples” groups – have become crucial anchors of stability. They help prevent domestic violence, promote dialogue, and maintain trust in divided communities. “Even in remote villages, people are beginning to realise that a society that sidelines women is only half-functioning,” says Dhego. “That change of mindset is the foundation of peace.”
A lasting legacy
As MAnU 2.0 comes to a close at the end of 2025, its impact continues through the thousands of women and men who now advocate for equality, dialogue, and peace in their daily lives. Twenty-five years after the world promised to include women in peacebuilding, these communities in DRC and Burundi show what that looks like in practice: not policy on paper, but courage, cooperation, and change that begins from within.
Although the MAnU 2.0 programme is coming to an end, the urgency and importance of this work remain. The local partners and community leaders who have been part of MAnU 2.0 will continue to apply what they’ve learned: facilitating dialogue, empowering women, and challenging harmful beliefs that divide communities. Their commitment ensures that the seeds planted through MAnU 2.0 keep growing long after the programme itself ends.
