Congo's 2015 elections are an opportunity for women and girls in the province of South Kivu.

English translation by community member KBurns.

The local and provincial elections that will be held in DR Congo this year will be problematic for women and girls – particularly those in South Kivu, as some of them have lost their voting cards and others live far from voting stations. Getting a new voting card is not as easy as legislators claim. It's up to the authorities to decide how to deal with the situation.

We are encouraging the women and girls who belong to our communities and who are involved in Femmes et Enfants en Danger (FED – \"Women and Children in Danger\") to stand as candidates in this year's elections, so that they can participate in managing public matters in the future.

Our strategy is to raise awareness among women and girls in literacy centres, Christian community bases and development organisations. Currently, two women in our FED association plan to stand as candidates in the upcoming elections in the region and in cities. We might be constrained by limited resources, but we will meet all the requirements.

We ask all those who read this for their encouragement and involvement, so that the FED can produce one or even two representatives in the coming days.

This is a chance for women to choose their own leaders for 2015 in DR Congo. I invite women's organisations to join us in supporting this noble cause not only in DR Congo generally but also, particularly, in South Kivu.