In February 2025, Action pour les Droits Solidaires (ADS) submitted an advocacy paper to the Office of the Deputy Governor entitled “Addressing Cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Territories under the Administration of AFC/M23.” The paper highlighted the alarming scale of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) affecting women and girls as a result of the conflict and proposed a number of priority measures aimed at strengthening prevention, protection, and response mechanisms. The recommendations emphasized the importance of community-based protection systems, including the strengthening of collaboration between local civil society organizations, women-led organizations, and humanitarian actors promoting women’s rights including supporting of survivors of violence and vulnerable communities. Particular emphasis was placed on strengthening referral pathways for medical, psychosocial, and legal support services, improving community awareness on prevention of sexual violence, and reinforcing coordination between humanitarian actors and community protection mechanisms. However, one year later, available evidence indicates that these recommendations have not yet translated into consistent protection outcomes for women and girls living in territories currently under AFC/M23 control.