The low participation of women in the security and defence services was the central theme of a workshop held on Thursday 18 July in Kinshasa. This observation stems from the failure to take into account parity in these areas. The objective of this workshop was to increase the presence of women in these sectors. The work was organized by MONUSCO in collaboration with the School of Criminology of the University of Kinshasa. Organizers and participants analyzed together the causes of this low participation of women in the security, defence and prison services sectors. Grâce Kativa, assistant at the BCGTCB (Office of Consultation, Citizen Participation and Development), took part in this workshop. She explained the root cause of this situation: “These are cultural barriers. As Bantus, from an early age, when we talk about the army, we say to ourselves that it is a man's job. It's to lift these barriers that we are fighting as part of security sector reform. Raoul Kenge-Kenge, Director of the School of Criminology at the University of Kinshasa, stressed the importance of inclusive participation in these sectors: “Reform is a comprehensive process. It must involve all people, all genders