Kinshasa, August 31st,2025 (CPA). – The 8th edition of the National Forum of Provincial Ministers and Heads of Divisions in charge of Gender, formerly scheduled to take place in Nord-Kivu province, is now scheduled for September 10th to 12th in Mbuji-Mayi, the chief town of Kasaï Oriental, in the centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the minutes of the Council of Ministers meeting read on Friday on national television in Kinshasa, the country’s capital. ‘The Minister in charge of Gender, Family and Children, Micheline Ombahe Kalama, has announced the organisation of the 8th edition of the National Forum of Ministers and Provincial Division Heads in charge of Gender, initially planned in Nord-Kivu, but which will exceptionally be held in Mbuyi-Mayi, in Kasai Oriental,’ has declared Patrick Muyaya, Minister spokesperson for the Government. The Minister in charge of Gender, quoted in the report, has specified that this edition will be followed by parallel activities focusing on raising awareness among women and girls in churches, schools, universities and hospitals. Ms Omba has remembered that since 2015, her ministry has organised these meetings annually. This strategic framework, she has continued, aims to strengthen coordination between the national and provincial levels, share good practices and develop a common roadmap for the promotion of gender throughout the country. The central theme of this year’s conference is ‘Women, peace, security and post-conflict recovery’.
Organisation of ‘He for She’
On another point, the minister has presented the case for the President of the Republic to participate in the ‘He for She’ event. The minister has remembered that this is a global campaign launched by UN Women that encourages the active engagement of men, particularly leaders, in advancing gender equality. Through this initiative, she has added, the Head of State, ministers and opinion leaders publicly commit to supporting concrete actions in favour of women’s rights. ‘In recent years, the country has made significant progress in terms of gender, promoting and improving the representation of women under the leadership of the President of the Republic, a champion of positive masculinity,’ has explained Patrick Muyaya. These efforts have been praised at regional and international level. His participation would therefore consolidate this recognition and position DRC as a model for the promotion of gender equality, he added, noting that the event will take place on September 23rd, 2025. ACP/