"Vrai Djo" ("Real Man") PSA Campaign

According to SFCG, sexual violence is a community-wide problem and one that SFCG believes can only be addressed if men are active partners in the solution. The strategy to communicating this conviction, in the words of Dirk Koch, SFCG DRC Country Director, is as follows: "One often sees campaigns that denounce men's behaviors and say what they should not do, but one never sees a campaign that motivates men to become positive, to find their inner strength, and to respect women and girls."

In this light, SFCG has created 5 short films and 3 audio spots which air on radio and television throughout the country. These PSAs feature Celeo Scram, "a Congolese superstar with a positive image", who plays various roles in the video spots. "A real man (Vrai Djo) is a man who knows what he wants and knows how to control himself", explains Celeo. "He is a person who respects himself and respects the women and girls around him." The films portray scenarios that often lead to sexual harassment or abuse that Congolese audiences will be familiar with (e.g., a job interview or a wife returning late from work) and shows instead opportunities for men to support the women in their lives.

Each plot starts with a situation in which a man appears to be in a position where he will abuse a woman, but because of his positive character, he instead decides to respect the dignity of women. For example, in "The Soldier", a soldier encounters a woman working alone in a field, who has collapsed from exhaustion. The woman is terrified that the soldier will mistreat her, but instead the "Vrai Djo" helps her home. To read synopses of the PSAs, click here. To watch the PSA on SFCG's YouTube channel, click here.

In the capital, Kinshasa, the campaign was broadcast on television; in the more remote Dongo, the videos were screened in large outdoor projections. Four audio spots were produced in connection with the short films in order to reinforce the messages and reach an extended audience.

Gender, Women, Rights, HIV/AIDS.

According to SFCG, violence against women is a major issue in the DRC. Rape in the country has often been used as a weapon of war, but has continued and even increased after the war's end. It is estimated that there are as many as 400,000 surviving rape victims living in the DRC today. The result is that large sectors of society perceive violence against women as a normal part of life. However, the campaign turns common assumptions about male behaviour in familiar situations on their head.