the Beijing Platform and the Biannual National Gender Report, the second edition of which is being prepared with the support of UNDP. All these reports bring up difficulties which slow down the implementation of national laws and international legal instruments on the elimination of discrimination against women. These include, in particular the non-popularization of international, regional and subregional legal instruments ratified by the DRC and its own laws related to the promotion of women, the persistence of mentalities, stereotypes and discriminatory socio-cultural practices against women as well as the inadequacy of financial resources allocated to gender equity and equality.  ACCESS TO JUSTICE, INCLUDING LEGAL ASSISTANCE AND THE TRAINING OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES (ARTICLE 8) 117. In terms of access by women to justice and equal protection before the law, Article 12 of the Constitution of the DRC provides that all Congolese are equal before the law and have the right to equal protection under the law. The organic law No. 13/011-B of 11 April, 2013 on the organization, functioning and competence of the courts under the judiciary allows men and women to have access to legal and judicial services. Legal assistance is automatically given to any person who is unable to seek a counsel of their choice. 118. Furthermore, in terms of sexual violence, access to justice by survivors is free, and at the same time, they enjoy legal assistance. Moreover, the Criminal Code which hardly punished certain offences (rape, public indecency) currently punishes close to 17 offences under sexual violence as a result of the passage of laws in 2006 on sexual violence. 119. By way of administrative measures, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights has adopted a number of Orders and Circular Notes ordering the exemption of legal fees for women victims of rape and reminded judges to implement international human rights Conventions which take precedence over any conflicting domestic legislation and the specific measures for women in the criminal system from the preliminary investigation through the trial to the execution of sentence. It is also important to point out among the achievements, the budgetary provision for civil society organizations which monitor cases of women and girls who are victims of rape. Legal clinics are organized by these organizations where the victims of sexual violence receive free legal assistance. In addition, mobile courts are organized in nearby courts where the act of sexual violence is committed to promote local-level justice and awareness raising among sections of the society regarding the rights of women. 120. Among the initiatives taken to facilitate access to justice by all men and women, the government has worked to strengthen the judicial apparatus, particularly by recruiting judges and establishing magistrates’ courts in all the provinces. Moreover, the witnesses and the victims of sexual violence enjoy special protection. 121. To raise awareness and educate the population on the respect for women’s rights since 2006, lots of activities have been organized regularly : awareness raising is carried out by the government and civil society against sexual violence and early marriages with the support of technical and financial partners, sixteen (16) days of activism against VSBG, advocacy among traditional chiefs for the elimination of harmful practices against women and girls with the support of the MONUSCO Gender Bureau, the judicial audit of sexual violence in the Tshangu District in Kinshasa with the NGOs as well as the community mobilization for the prevention of sexual violence and HIV/AIDS with the support of UN Women. 122. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, all the initiatives on the improvement of access by women to judicial assistance and services are encouraged and supported by the government. This applies to associations and civil society which is concerned with promoting women and children’s rights, particularly the Association of Women Lawyers of the Congo (AFEJUCO), the Africa League Zone for Human Rights, Students and School Pupils (LIZADEEL). Among the administrative measures, it is appropriate to also indicate the existence of a free judicial assistance system among the Bar Associations in which lawyers are automatically appointed by Presidents of Bar Associations to assist victims of sexual violence benevolently. Indeed, to 31