ABA ROLI Supported the Recent Opening of the UNIGOM Law Library in Goma

On September 23, 2022, the Department of Legal, Political, Administrative and Management Sciences and International Relations of the University of Goma officially opened its first Law Library on the Green Lake campus of the University, located in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. With support from the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), the University was able to establish a permanent law library of donated and purchased books needed by students and faculty to conduct research on campus and further their professional development in the legal field.  This support was done through ABA ROLI’s Legal Scholarship (LS) Fund for Congolese Women, established in 2011 to support legal education opportunities for women. After the ribbon cutting ceremony, a library tour was offered to academic and ABA representatives, followed by a celebratory reception.

Over the course of 12 years, ABA ROLI’s LS program has supported more than 60 Congolese women legal scholars at three universities in eastern DRC, including the University of Goma. There have been several successful graduates of the program, who are now prominent lawyers and scholars, with one returning as an associate professor at the University of Goma. Of the more than 900 students at the University of Goma currently, only 30% are women.

Ms. Denise MUNYERETSE, a legal scholar at Goma University and a former LS beneficiary, delivered opening remarks at the ceremony. Ms. MUNYERETSE expressed her gratitude to ABA ROLI and the Department of Legal Sciences, emphasizing that the library will enhance the reading culture of the beneficiaries and promote their professional development.

The Head of the Department of Legal Sciences, Mr. Katembo Zawadi Théodore emphasized the importance of ABA ROLI’s LS program and its work strengthening female leadership in DRC through the continuous support of young women pursuing careers in the law. He mentioned that the department is proud of the performance and academic and professional accomplishments of the beneficiaries of the LS program. He also added that this library strengthens scientific research at the Faculty of Law.

The dean of the law school, represented by his interim, Professor Phidias Ahadi Senge thanked ABA ROLI for this initiative, stressing the importance of educating girls in a society where men have always been privileged.

ABA ROLI’s Country Director in the DRC, Maja Pecanac, expressed her wish to continue the LS program for the benefit of young women, following ABA ROLI’s objectives in the DRC. She highlighted the need to further strengthen women's leadership in the judicial sector and stated that the library and its enrichment was one of the ways to achieve this.

Academic Secretary General and Professor John Birigimana Mugabushaka, representing the Rector of the University of Goma, provided closing remarks. He encouraged ABA ROLI's initiative in the DRC and expressed his pride that the University of Goma was among the universities selected to receive support by ABA ROLI.

University of Goma’s Law Library is one of the means to achieve ABA ROLI’s sustainability objectives in the country—to support the development of a legal arena involving women and led by women through their continuous learning and career advancement. Access to resources and the opportunity to immerse oneself in legal research and ongoing exploration of the legal field can only help achieve this goal. Over time, ABA ROLI hopes to continue to support the library by providing more legal books that will be accessible to scholars and faculty. 

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