« These Images Still Haunt Me »
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« My parents saw me naked! » These words capture the distress of Nadia, 18, a victim whose intimate images were shared online in Bukavu. Like her, hundreds of women face daily humiliation and stigmatization on social media. These digital acts of violence are destroying lives and urgently remind activists—men and women alike—of the need for collective solidarity to stop this scourge.
A New Digital Battlefield
The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a new digital battlefield where women’s right to their own image is violated daily. Global data indicates that almost three out of four women (73%) have already encountered a form of online violence. The phenomenon of « revenge porn » or non-consensual image sharing is escalating at an alarming rate, turning social media into a space for judgment and dishonor.
Like many cities in the DRC, Bukavu is not spared. Almost every week, compromising images of women are published on platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter (X), TikTok, and Facebook. This phenomenon has led to broken relationships, dissolved homes, canceled marriages, and ruined reputations. Despite this, some women dare to speak out, seek digital training, and brave the fear. Yet, the path remains long, as it is not just the woman who must change—it is the entire society.
What constitutes an Intimate Image?
Social networks like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have become indispensable tools for communication and sharing content. However, they can also be used for illegal purposes: spreading false information, defamation, harassment, and digital violence. An intimate image refers to a photo or video showing body parts like breasts or genitals, or depicting explicit sexual activity. The person appearing in such content naturally expects it to remain private.
The non-consensual distribution or sharing of these images constitutes a genuine act of violence—physical, moral, or psychological. Online, this takes the form of publishing compromising images or videos, threats, or incitements to degrading acts.
The Numbers
According to the Institute of Development Studies, between 16% and 58% of women have experienced technology-facilitated gender-based violence. The Economist Intelligence Unit notes that 38% of women have been victims of some form of online violence, while 85% of internet users have witnessed digital violence against other women. In Africa, over 90% of women report having faced this type of abuse. In the DRC, no official statistics are available, but observed facts and testimonies point to a particularly alarming situation.
« My Parents Saw Me Naked »
Nadia (pseudonym), 18, was a secondary school student in Bukavu when her intimate images were shared on WhatsApp. Her classmates, parents, and siblings all discovered the photos and videos of her engaging in sexual activity with her boyfriend. Since then, these images have haunted her.
« I don’t like to remember that situation. It is really hard to imagine that my parents, friends, and teachers saw me naked, » Nadia recalls, tears welling up.
She adds, « In fact, it was my boyfriend who shared those images with his friends. Unfortunately, they then spread them in WhatsApp groups. The reason, I don’t know. My father was furious, he chased me out of the house, and the school expelled me for immorality. I am lost, » Nadia laments.
« It Was Ugly to See »
Like Nadia, other girls are victims of this harassment. Neema (pseudonym), originally from a village near Bukavu, was studying at the Higher Institute of Rural Development (ISDR). Her intimate images ended up in the hands of her lover’s wife.
« I was dating a man. He never told me he was married. One evening, during a date, he begged me to record our act. I refused, but he convinced me by saying he was going to travel and would watch the video to remember me. Naively, I accepted, » regrets Neema.
She continues:
« We parted ways that day without any problem. A few days later, our video flooded social media. We were both clearly visible. It was ugly to see. I fell into depression. »
Being a Minister and Pregnant is Not a Crime
Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, DRC’s Minister of State in charge of Foreign Affairs, was also a victim of online cyberharassment. Images presenting her as « pregnant » circulated globally with messages of stigmatization and contempt. These messages and videos « sullied a moment of intimacy and joy, » she regrets.
« The Minister did nothing wrong. On the contrary, she breaks a taboo; she shows that a woman can be free, ambitious, responsible, and accomplished while choosing motherhood in her own way, » supports Passy (Nabintu) Mubalama, women’s rights activist and Director of AIDPROFEN.
Multiple Isolated Cases
The two victims cited are just the tip of the iceberg. Other young women face the same fate. One woman saw videos of herself flirting with another man circulate on WhatsApp. Her fiancé discovered them just 24 hours before their wedding. Despite the shock, the ceremony ultimately took place. Others have lost their jobs following the dissemination of compromising images on social media.
« It has become an epidemic in Bukavu, » regrets Epimack Koko, coordinator of the Human Rights League in the Great Lakes Region (LDGL).
When the Armed Forces Fall into the Trap
Recently, viral videos showed a woman, identified as Honorine Porsche, naked and lying on the ground, surrounded by men in military uniform. One soldier ordered her to spread her legs while another struck, insulted, and filmed her.
« What occurred goes beyond a simple arrest: it is a direct attack on the dignity of the Congolese woman and a wound to the national conscience. A society that accepts publicly humiliating a woman loses a part of its humanity. It is up to all of us to say: never again, » declared Laetitia Nyemba, General Coordinator of DPF-DRC (Dynamique pour la Protection des Femmes en République Démocratique du Congo), speaking to actualité.cd.
Since the videos were released, social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp) have been flooded. The situation prompted outrage from the National Human Rights Coordination (CNDH). In a statement signed by Paul Nsapu, President of the CNDH-DRC, the state body expressed deep indignation at the publication of these videos, which violate women’s rights.
« These shocking images constitute a serious violation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the DRC Constitution, » the statement read.
In the same communiqué, the CNDH recalled that the fight against crime, however legitimate, can never justify attacks on the dignity and physical integrity of individuals. « Security forces, in the exercise of their duties, have an obligation to respect human rights and legal procedures in force, » he insisted. Interrogated shortly after her arrest, Porsche stated that the soldiers tore her clothes before inflicting sexual abuse and beatings on her in front of a crowd.
Justice for Porsche
On November 6, 2025, the Kinshasa Gombe military court delivered its verdict. A warrant officer was sentenced to ten years in prison, while the officers prosecuted in the same case were acquitted. The court also granted Ms. Porsche damages amounting to 5,000 US dollars.
The Fear of Reporting
Publishing another person’s intimate video on a website or sending intimate photos of an ex to a friend via text message are prohibited actions. Epimack Kwokwo regrets that many victims are unaware of the existence of laws that protect them. They could use these laws to discourage such behavior and end the cycle of revenge or disclosure of secrets.
He also points out that the prosecutor’s office is not playing its role correctly in maintaining public order and tranquility.
« Magistrates, instead of imposing order and social peace by prosecuting the perpetrators of such acts, choose not to act; this perpetuates the practice and also constitutes a professional fault on their part, » Kwokwo deplores. For this human rights activist, beyond information, training, and awareness, there must be sanctions. Violence remains violence—whether physical, online, or psychological—and it must be discouraged.
What the Law Says
Article 174 of the Congolese Penal Code makes it illegal to publish a video of a person without their consent.
« Anyone who has procured and/or maliciously published or threatened to publish, directly or through an intermediary, information, regardless of the method used, on communication or information networks and other internet platforms, likely to undermine the honor or reputation of a person because of their gender, shall be punished by a principal penal servitude of three to five years and a fine of 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 Congolese francs or one of these penalties only. »
It should be noted that the DRC promulgated the Law on the Digital Code on March 13, 2023. This law aims to prevent and prosecute online offenses, as well as protect personal data. In other words, it allows for the prosecution of those responsible for harassment, misinformation (infox), and hate speech disseminated on social media. Article 360 of this code punishes anyone who initiates or relays false information against a person through social media or other electronic media.
« Female victims must learn to bring their complaints before the justice system against their colleagues who commit similar acts prohibited by law and for which sanctions are provided, » advises Epimack.
He adds:
« Violence is punishable by law. »
What to Do
Maitre Sébastien Kabengele Luahula, a member of the Avocats.cd team, calls on social media users to be responsible.
« Be careful with the information you share, » he advises. He adds: « Members of online platforms can also be held responsible for offenses committed by other members. Indeed, Congolese law provides for a principle of joint and several liability, which means that all members of a group are responsible for the acts of each. »
Beyond this caution, there is a need to promote genuine digital civic education and the responsible use of ICTs. Epimack points out that some victims expose themselves by mistake:
« Sometimes, through simple clumsiness, they put their intimacy online. I know two cases: one, while trying to send intimate images to her husband working outside the city, inadvertently published them on her WhatsApp status, » he regrets.
Faced with these serious violations of women’s rights online, it is essential that women, girls, and also men are trained in the responsible use of social media.
« Denounce and Report These Abuses »
Grâce Maroyi, a women’s and girls’ rights activist and coordinator of the non-profit organization Mwanamke Kesho, recalls the need for support and solidarity for those who are victims. According to her, the publication of intimate images leads to loss of dignity, depression, and a deep sense of shame and guilt.
« Behind every comment you make, behind every image you share, there is a person with a heart, feelings, and emotions, » she emphasizes.
In this context where « laws exist but are not applied, » Maroyi recommends that human rights activists continue to document cases of online violence against women. She also encourages reporting these abuses to NGOs specializing in cybersecurity. As for victims, they are urged to seek support and advice from women’s rights organizations.
« Denounce despite everything. Report the accounts and content that spread them, and raise awareness among women and youth, as they are the most affected, » insists Grâce Maroyi.
Training on ICTs
In Bukavu, in eastern DRC, Young Web Africa is a digital company led by young people that organizes training sessions for pupils, students, and other audiences on the responsible use of ICTs.
« Faced with the havoc caused by social media in the community, we have found that young people are increasingly victims of cybercrime, especially girls. At Young Web Africa, we organize training for them and offer free online assistance. We have already trained more than 250 young people. The task is immense, but it is a mission we have given ourselves to reduce online violence and promote the responsible use of digital technology, » explains Trésor Mushalusa, Director of Young Web Africa.
For a long time, women have been victims of violence of all kinds. With the advent of social media, organizations promoting and protecting women’s rights must now also address what happens online. The viral effect of platforms accentuates stigmatization and exposes women further.
« To reverse the trend, a synergy of actors is needed to say stop to the violation of women’s rights online, » recommends Léon-Pascal Nkundwa, sociologist and independent gender expert.
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Justin Murhula
