A Brief Report: Community-Based Participatory Theatre and Gender-Based Violence Reporting Among Women in South Kivu's Mining Communities

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive public health crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Women in artisanal mining communities, such as those in South Kivu, face heightened vulnerability, with complex and entrenched barriers to reporting incidents. This brief report assessed the effect of a community-based participatory theatre intervention on the willingness and perceived ability of women in South Kivu's mining communities to report GBV. A qualitative, observational study was conducted. The intervention involved a series of participatory theatre workshops developed and performed with local women's groups. Data were collected through focus group discussions with female participants before and after the intervention to explore changes in attitudes, knowledge, and perceived reporting barriers. Following the intervention, participants reported increased awareness of formal and informal reporting channels. A key theme was a reduction in perceived social stigma, with many women expressing greater confidence in seeking support. A notable proportion of focus group participants explicitly stated an increased intention to report future GBV incidents. Community-based participatory theatre shows promise as a culturally resonant tool for shifting community norms and reducing barriers to GBV reporting in high-risk settings like mining communities. Future initiatives should integrate participatory theatre with established GBV service provision to create clear referral pathways. Longer-term studies are needed to evaluate sustained changes in reporting behaviours and incident rates. gender-based violence, participatory theatre, community engagement, reporting, mining communities, Democratic Republic of the Congo This report provides preliminary evidence for the use of community-based participatory theatre as a public health intervention to address under-reporting of GBV in a fragile and conflict-affected setting.