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FCDO Jo Cox DRC

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Our new project funded by UK aid and the Jo Cox Foundation

Empowering marginalised women in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Women for Women International UK is thrilled to announce the launch of a new multi-year project, funded by the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID) - now known as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) as of 2 September 2020 - through their Jo Cox Memorial Fund. Starting in October 2019, we began implementing a transformative programme in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) supporting women survivors of war to rebuild their lives and create meaningful change in their communities.

Husband and wife celebrate graduation - DRC - Ryan Carter
Under the Jo Cox Memorial Fund, we are bringing together 1,200 marginalised women and 600 male allies to advance women's rights in South Kivu. Photo: Ryan Carter

DFID in DRC

In DRC we are providing 1,200 women with our 12-month social and economic empowerment programme, whilst also focusing on strengthening the capacities of three local Civil Society Organisation partners. We are doing this by building an advocacy alliance that mobilises communities in South Kivu to actively promote women’s rights.

Women for Women International believes that locally led advocacy action is pivotal to advance gender equality in communities and elevate the voices of the most marginalised women at higher levels. Our grassroots activity will also work to ensure appropriate services are provided to sustainably improve women’s lives. Harnessing the collective power of women, and with 600 men as key allies, we are building strong community networks that tackle issues such as violence against women and land rights more effectively. Throughout this exciting project we will be building a space for action and accountability for women’s rights.

 

Women learn to bake bread - DRC - Ryan Carter
Women participants of our core programme learn vocational skills, such as bread making, to begin generating their own income. Photo: Ryan Carter

Our local partners for this project are: Caucus des Femmes Congolaises du Sud Kivu pour la Paix (CFCP), Levain des Femmes du Sud-Kivu (LDF), and Innovation et Formation pour le Développement et la Paix (IFDP).

As with our FCDO-funded project in Nigeria, this project will assess how we work with women with disabilities. Women for Women International looks forward to improving our ability to serve the most marginalised of women. Thanks to the support of the UK aid from the UK government and the Jo Cox Memorial Fund, we can develop a programme that is more inclusive and tailored to the needs of disabled women in DRC.

This project was funded with UK aid from the UK government.

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Previous projects funded by UK aid

With the support of UK aid from the UK government, we were able to empower 10,500 of the most marginalised women in DRC and Nigeria between 2013 and 2016

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In the Democratic Republic of Congo, graduates of our programme are organising 'Community Forums' to educate and engage local leaders on women's rights issues, and find solutions to the major barriers women face.


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