缅北禁地

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UNDEF is working to strengthen young women's online and offline civic engagement. Implemented by Habari DRC, the project aims to create an alternative and safe online space where young Congolese women can connect with each other around issues that concern them, claim their right to express themselves and mobilize to exert political influence, using the Habari DRC blogging platform.

Earlier this year, Habari DRC held a conference in Kinshasa to discuss the role of technology in women's empowerment and civic participation. This event brought together over 30 participants, primarily women, comprised of jurists, lawyers, students, and journalists.

Participants discussed the empowerment of Congolese women and the importance of ensuring equal participation through the analysis of persistent gender imbalances. They concluded that digitalizing women and young girls could increase their political participation, freedom of expression, and financial empowerment while recognizing the need for equal access to digital tools.

A second conference debate was held in Lubumbashi as a forum for exchange between women civil society actors and various other participants on the place of digitalization in women's empowerment and civic participation. 

Participants agreed on the power of digitalization as a tool for women's empowerment and acknowledged the obstacles to accessing digital tools, expressing confidence that the project could overcome these challenges. During the debate, the head of the Youth Division of the Haut-Katanga region encouraged participants to support each other in empowering women's civic engagement.