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- Women on the Frontlines: Gender, Conflict, and UN Peacekeeping in the DRC – Film Screening + Discussion
Women on the Frontlines: Gender, Conflict, and UN Peacekeeping in the DRC – Film Screening + Discussion
Event Date: March 30, 2026 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm, followed by casual reception
Location: FSS 4007, 120 University Private, University of Ottawa
Registration: Google Forms
Presented by CIPS and the Gender, Peace and Development Research Network
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to face complex and fragmented conflict, and high rates of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Despite a December 2025 ceasefire agreement between M23 rebels and the DRC government, clashes continue. Reports from early 2026 indicate rising levels of CRSV and diminishing support services for survivors. The Gender, Peace and Development Research Network at the University of Ottawa’s Centre for International Policy Studies will host a screening of A War Movie (Casques bleuEs), a cinéma vérité documentary that follows Canadian women peacekeepers deployed as part of the United Nations Special Victims Unit to combat sexual violence in the DRC. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the film director and producer as well as one of the peacekeepers profiled in the film, along with RCMP representatives involved in the deployment, offering firsthand reflections on documenting and responding to the crisis in the DRC.
This event brings together students, researchers, policy advisors, defence and security practitioners, civil society, and members of the broader community working on conflict and gender issues to deepen understanding of one of the most pressing humanitarian crises of our time.
Featuring a Screening of:
Followed by a discussion with:
Louise Leroux, Film Director, Shootfilms.ca
Dr. Richard Blackburn, Film Producer, Shootfilms.ca
Martine Le Royer, Former UN Peacekeeper, DRC | Retired Police Officer, Montreal Police Service (SPVM)
Liam Price, Director General, International Operations, RCMP
Superintendent Rabih Abdallah, Director, International Peace Operations, RCMP
Inspector Blayr Schmidt, Officer in Charge (OIC), Foreign Cooperation, RCMP
Dr. Margaret Jenkins, Senior Gender Adviser, Women, Peace & Security, UN Women | Co-Director, Gender, Peace & Development Research Network, University of Ottawa