Building more peaceful gender relationships in South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Abstract

The objective of this study is to understand the attitudes and behaviour of young South Kivu men towards women in order to encourage the development of more peaceful attitudes and behaviour. This study provides insights from an urban and rural young male perspective into attitudes, behaviour, and context within which violence against women occurs. The study also included urban and rural young females to understand their perspectives and experiences on male – perpetrated violence within relationships. This study examines men‟s and women‟s gender roles and relationship norms, attitudes and beliefs in the context of ongoing relationships and marriage. While investigating the culture of sexual violence, it is shown that the construction of young people‟s attitude and behaviour is certainly influenced by social, cultural, political and economic factors and these factors have also implications for the ways in which heterosexual relationships are constructed and narrated. A curriculum is developed, based on the study‟s findings for use in secondary schools.