We support local organisations who work for women’s rights and sustainable peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Rwanda and Uganda.
Our goal is a future in which women have the same rights and opportunities as men to participate in society. We want women to be able to live a life free from sexual violence, abuse, discrimination and poverty.
Our work in sub-Saharan Africa is conducted from our offices in Bukavu, Monrovia and Kigali.
School girls in Uvira in South Kivu, the DRC. Photo: Cato Lein
Women in the DRC face significant obstacles—including violence—to accessing political power, economic resources and basic services. Our partners work to challenge discriminatory norms and increase respect for women’s rights. This situation has worsened since the occupation of North and South Kivu by the AFC/M23 at the end of January 2025. Cases of violence against women and children have increased exponentially.
Liberia’s women’s movement played a key role in bringing peace to the country after years of civil war. Today, our partners support survivors of sexual violence and advocate for women’s political and economic empowerment.
In Rwanda, 63.8% of seats in parliament are held by women—the highest in the world. But norms and traditions still hold women back. Our partners prevent gender-based violence, promote sexual and reproductive health rights and support women’s participation in decision-making and economic empowerment.
In Uganda, women working for rights and equality continue to navigate a challenging civic space and persistent gender inequalities. Our two partners promote feminist organising, support women’s participation in peacebuilding, and strengthen networks for collective protection.
Our regional roadmap for sub-Saharan Africa 2023–2028 is the second strategy for the region. It takes its starting point in the organisation’s global strategy “A push for lasting peace”, but is also based on a thorough assessment of the foundation’s current work and lessons learned from its long presence in the region.
During this strategic period, Kvinna till Kvinna plans to expand its presence in the region. This roadmap aims to guide that expansion while also strengthening the ongoing work in our current programme countries.
– Francine Kasimba of our Congolese partner organisation CEDEJ-GL
Photo: Bertin Mungombe
“I suppose the passion I have for this work keeps me going. Besides all the trials and tribulations, I went through and at times still go through. Seeing women and girls lives in my community changing for the better, being respected more, and their dignity upheld is what keeps me going.”
– Nelly Cooper, West Point Women for Health and Development Organization
Pregnant at 16, Nshokano Mwakalwa Horace in the DR Congo was shut out of school and faced pressure to start a family. But thanks to Kvinna till Kvinna’s local partner organisation AFEM, Nshokano now has both hope and renewed self-confidence.
26 August 2026
For 16-year-old Rehema Byaombe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, being able to go to school cannot be taken for granted. “I come from a large family and my parents did not have the financial means to send me to school, so my uncle took over and since then, I have been living with him,” she says.
24 August 2026
Sexual violence, forced recruitment of child soldiers, and mass displacement have become the new reality for women and children in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But despite insecurity, limited resources, and constant threats, The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation’s partner organisations remain on the ground.
14 April 2025
Thanks to Paper Crown Rwanda, the students at G.S Gihogwe meet every Wednesday to learn about their sexual and reproductive rights and gender-based violence—an initiative meant to create lasting social change in Rwanda.
20 December 2023
Amidst the prolonged armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, women’s rights organisations in South Kivu have been instrumental in supporting victims of gender-based violence and advocating for women’s rights for the past 25 years.
13 December 2023
At Paper Crown Rwanda, Clementine Nyirarukundo and her colleagues work tirelessly to fight gender inequality and transform deep-rooted social norms in Rwanda. By implementing a unique training programme and engaging young people, they want to break the cycle of violence.
20 November 2023