to increase considerably. Since nearly 70% of the Congolese population live in the rural areas (mainly women) and due to the fact that they depend on agriculture, the development of agricultural activities is expected to have a significant effect on job creation, particularly for women. In the area of peace, the vision of the government is to enable the DRC to live at peace with itself and with its neighbouring countries to foster national unity and consolidated territorial integrity. That is why, in order to strengthen governance and peace, the policy of the Government defined in the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (GPRSP 2) aims at consolidating political stability, security, the authority of the State and satisfactory public governance which determine the effective implementation of the development activities of the country and the attainment of development outcomes centred on gender equality. In conclusion, this report highlighted progress made by the DRC to ensure that the rights of women are fully enjoyed, protected and applied. The institutional framework comprising specific rights of women and national policy principles on gender equality served as a solid basis for the formulation of policies and programmes meant to bridge the main gaps in the area of the respect of the rights of women. The report also laid emphasis on the challenges faced by the DRC in its efforts to implement the ideals clearly set forth in the Constitution, particularly where they relate to the problem of gender which remains deeply perceptible in Congolese society. These challenges were worsened as they assumed disproportionate dimensions with regard to sexual violence as a result of war and recurrent conflicts, and in spite of the numerous actions taken by the Congolese government and development partners working in the DRC to reduce them, in accordance with the ratified international legal instruments and the laws of the country. However, as stated earlier, and in spite of these challenges, the country has made considerable progress which has ended up to the benefit of Congolese women in all areas, particularly with the promulgation by the President of the Republic of the law on the modalities for the application of parity between men and women as well as the revised Family Code. However, the Congolese Government is very mindful of the fact that the level of effectiveness of the legal and administrative measures taken, policies and programmes adopted and the institutional mechanisms put in place will not only depend on their technical and legal value, but also on the level of democracy and tolerance attained by Congolese in general and political decision-makers in particular. 73