Le commerce illicite du charbon de bois du Parc national de Kahuzi-Biega par les femmes : perceptions communautaires et réalités vécues dans le groupement d’Irhambi-Katana

L’étude examine l’implication des femmes dans le commerce illicite du charbon de bois provenant du Parc national de Kahuzi-Biega, dans le groupement d’Irhambi-Katana. À partir d’une enquête auprès de 44 femmes, elle montre que cette activité relève principalement de la nécessité économique et met en lumière la précarité, l’insécurité, la stigmatisation et les souffrances psychologiques auxquelles ces femmes sont exposées.

This study focuses on the women who sell charcoal sourced illegally from the KahuziBiega National Park in the Irhambi-Katana region of South Kivu. The goal is to understand what drives these women to take up such dangerous work and how it shapes their daily lives, their health, and their place in society. For this research, we interviewed 44 women working in the trade. The findings reveal that these women do not choose this activity by choice, but out of absolute necessity. The vast majority (80%) have a primary school education or less, and 59.1% explain that they do this work simply because there are no other jobs available to feed their families. Their daily lives are defined by extreme instability and insecurity: 90.9% report living in constant fear. Not only do they regularly face the seizure of their goods by park authorities, but they also endure extortion and sexual violence. This reality takes a heavy toll on their mental health, with 86.4% reporting sleep disturbances or loss of appetite. Furthermore, their work is poorly perceived by the community, 95.4% feel stigmatized, leading to marital tensions for 63.6% of them and deep emotional distress. A striking paradox emerges from this study: while these women feel a sense of pride in their role as "family breadwinners" (65.9%), they simultaneously carry heavy guilt due to the illegal nature of their work (70.5%). We have captured this paradox as a form of "freedom under constraint"—they earn just enough money to survive, but at the cost of a highly precarious life and immense risks. In conclusion, this research highlights that simple enforcement, such as seizing their charcoal, does not solve the problem. Instead, it only worsens their vulnerability and insecurity. To protect both the Kahuzi-Biega National Park and the women living around it, we must offer stable economic alternatives and tailored psychological support, rather than relying solely on penalties.