Aims to dismantle systemic barriers for marginalized girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through a multi-sectoral approach combining secondary education, protection from violence, and economic agency. In the DRC, gender gaps widen significantly during adolescence. While primary enrollment is nearly equal, only 33% of girls aged 14-17 are in school. Rural girls are 23 percentage points less likely than boys to reach the final year of secondary school.
Facing marginalized girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a complex "protection crisis" fueled by decades of conflict, extreme poverty, and deeply entrenched patriarchal norms.While the challenges are national, they are most acute in conflict affected eastern provinces like North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri.Displaced girls in overcrowded camps around Goma often resort to "survival sex" to afford basic essentials like food and firewood due to a lack of safe livelihood opportunities.
The multifaceted crisis in the DRC by shifting from standalone aid to an integrated, systemic approach that targets the root causes of marginalization. By simultaneously tackling economic, educational, and cultural barriers, the project creates an "interlocking safety net" that prevents girls from falling through the cracks.To solve the problem of "survival sex" and child marriage, the project implements a "Graduation Approach" a bundled anti-poverty strategy proven effective in conflict zones.
The DRC extends far beyond individual lives, triggering a "multiplier effect" that can reshape the country's socio-economic landscape. By addressing the root causes of exclusion today, the project aims for the following transformative shifts over the next 10 to 20 years: Breaking the Intergenerational Cycle of Poverty,Economic Growth and "Human Capital" Development, Systematic Reduction in Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Strengthened Civil Society and Leadership
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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