A conversation with Passy Mubalama

18.03.20

UN New York - On the occasion of CSW64, the NGO Committee on the Status of Women New York sought nominations for its Women of Distinction Awards. Ms. Passy MUBALAMA, Founder and Executive Director of AIDPROFEN in Goma, DRC was nominated by ESPERAS, a consortium to which MMM belongs, and subsequently selected as a 2020 Awardee.

With the “shortening and scaling down” of the 64th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW64), all parallel events, including the NGO CSW NY awards event, were canceled. The MMM New York team arranged to speak to Ms. Mubalama, to get to know her and her work, to give her some exposure, and to congratulate her on her Award.

Passy Mubalama, Founder and Executive Director, AIDPROFEN

Ms. Mubalama started her career as a journalist and quickly put her full focus on women and girls in the DRC who have seen much conflict, have been victims of sex crimes, and to this day continue to face gender discrimination. While these injustices are real, they do not tell the full story of women’s work, strength and survival.

Ms. Mubalama and AIDPROFEN work on creating and increasing awareness of women’s rights amongst women themselves and their communities. Victims’ support centres were created, including in the camps set up for Internally Displaced Persons. Programs were created to help mothers with children born of rape in war, to help women and girls when dealing with the justice system, and to encourage and support women who self-advocate.

Women’s participation in conflict resolution is critical, according to Ms. Mubalama. Women are not only victims, they are part of the solution: they are working for their families and they are key to the development of the region.

Indeed, with AIDPROFEN, women are telling their stories, working in their neighborhoods, creating local forums, becoming spokespersons, acting with agency. AIDPROFEN also works on positive masculinity as a tool for achieving women’s rights and strengthening women’s place in society. AIDPROFEN’s advocacy aims to change the perception of women, to strengthen women’s role as family educators and community change-makers, to include women in decision-making and conflict resolution, as well as peacebuilding.

Ms. Mubalama is the recipient of prizes in her native DRC, such as the Prix Jeune Espoir, the Trophée des Excellents de la RDC for the promotion of women’s human rights. She was awarded the 2014 Mandela Washington Fellowship from the Young African Leaders Initiative, the 2018 Reagan Fascell Democracy Fellowship, and the 2019 ChangeMaker by 11.11.11.

Most read articles

Mothers, unpaid care work and global crises – connecting the dots

02.07.24

UN New York / HLPF - Register now to join us online at this year’s High Level Political Forum side-event.

Lire plus

Investing in mothers key for inter-generational change

13.02.24

UN New York, CSocD62 - MMM's intervention to the Commission on Social Development reiterates that investing in mothers through recognition, education, protection and adequate support is a smart invest

Lire plus

Let’s change the narrative: Invest in Mothers

11.03.24

UN New York, CSW68 - Join us for a discussion on changing the narrative in support of mothers - an online parallel event to the 68th UN Commission on the

Lire plus
See all the articlesof the category

Latest News from MMM and its Network

From local to global: practical solutions to better support mothers

16.12.24

UN Geneva - The working group on discrimination against women and girls has requested input on care policies and programmes worldwide. In addition to highlighting examples of good laws, policies and practices t

Read more

MAV: Turning the Challenges of Motherhood into Professional Opportunities

14.12.24

MAV: Turning the Challenges of Motherhood into Professional OpportunitiesWe are happy to announce MMM’s participation in the EU funded MAV (Mom Virtual Assistant) Project, an innovative initiative designed to

Read more

Be Family launch event: placing work-life balance at the heart of workplace policies

05.12.24

Make Mothers Matter co-presented the official launch of Be Family in Paris, a movement aimed at bridging the gap between personal and professional life for working parents. This first event, which took place in

Read more

Child and Family Support in Europe : ensuring families receive the best possible care

05.12.24

We were delighted to coorganise, together with the European Parents Association (EPA), the "Quality Assurance in Child and Family Support in Europe: Policy Lessons for Evidence-Informed Decision Making" initiat

Read more

Invest in early childhood care and education for peace and tolerance

02.12.24

Responding to a call for input for a UN Report, MMM highlights how the early years of the child constitute a crucial period to act and foster peace and tolerance for all, and what needs to be done to support ea

Read more

Girls’ education in Côte d’Ivoire: cornerstone of development and the empowerment of mothers

15.11.24

Make Mothers Matter (MMM) visited Côte d’Ivoire to mark International Day of the Girl Child on 14 October 2024. Our UNESCO advocacy team leader, Brigitte Marais, took part in the celebration of this signific

Read more