Equality for Girls' Access to Education in the Nord Kivu and Kasaï Provinces of the DRC

The project aims to improve access to education for girls and other vulnerable children in the provinces of North Kivu and Kasai in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It addresses the social financial and gender-specific barriers that prevent them from attending school. It also contributes to improving the capacity of the education system by strengthening the quality and gender sensitivity of formal and informal education services. In addition the project aims to increase the capacity of local provincial and national authorities to provide educational services that meet the needs of girls. Project activities include: (1) raising community awareness of the importance of education for girls; (2) implementing a music therapy program for girls young women and women caregivers who have experienced trauma specifically sexual and gender-based violence; (3) implementing alternative traditional and accelerated learning programs for out-of-school girls and other vulnerable children; and (4) updating educational programs and policy at the local and provincial levels by including and/or reinforcing gender and conflict issues. The project expects to reach 461 570 people including 128 500 girls 136 200 women 70 000 persons with disabilities and 8 000 survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. School-based activities aim to reach 6 020 girls and 3 904 boys.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased equitable access to quality inclusive affordable safe and secure education and teaching that is tailored to gender-based differences for vulnerable children and youth particularly girls at the primary and secondary levels; and (2) improved delivery of quality innovative inclusive safe and gender-equal education and learning services provided to vulnerable children and youth particularly girls by local provincial and national authorities.