Kvinna till Kvinna has supported women’s rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 2009. Women in the DRC face significant obstacles to accessing political power, economic resources, and basic services. Two out of three women are subjected to physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. Our partners work to challenge discriminatory gender norms and increase respect for women’s rights.
The DR Congo has seen over 20 years of war and violent conflict, where the root causes and dynamics of the conflict are multiple and complex. Women face challenges such as:
Kvinna till Kvinna’s partners have successfully advocated for increased participation of women in society including changed legislation in regards to women’s political and economic participation, and continues to fight to improve all rights for women.
Together with our partner organisations in Democratic Republic of the Congo, we:
In 2015, women’s rights organisations from across the DRC united in a campaign to get gender parity written into the electoral law. Today, their Rien sans les Femmes movement is respected nationwide by the authorities and is involve in many committees at national and provincial levels on all issues related to the promotion of women rights.
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