Kinshasa, August 3rd, 2025 (CPA).- The right to education for all girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been highlighted on Saturday as a cornerstone of gender equality and sustainable development, according to a United Nations statement consulted on Saturday by the CPA. “Guaranteeing the inalienable right to education for all girls, including those facing pregnancy, is a cornerstone of gender equality and sustainable development,” has declared John Agbor, acting resident coordinator of the United Nations (UN) system in DRC, quoted by the source. . M Agbor has pointed out that the civil society and the local communities have also been called upon to tackle discriminatory social norms and defend the fundamental right of every child, girl or boy, to a quality education. ‘Enabling every adolescent girl to reach her full potential is essential to building a more just and prosperous society,’ he has indicated. According to him, the UN has welcomed this initiative and Circular No. 1245 of July 14th, 2025, from the Acting General Secretary of National Education and New Citizenship, addressed to the directors of the educational provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has put an end to a discriminatory practice that forced many adolescent girls to drop out of school because of their pregnancy.
The pregnancy, often linked to a lack of information, bodily autonomy or assault, was becoming a reason for exclusion from school, he has reminded, before emphasising that for the United Nations, this circular note constitutes a decisive step towards social justice, the empowerment of girls and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality) and 10 (reduced inequalities). Through their Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development (CCDD) 2025-2029, the UN agencies in DRC support access to quality education, sexual and reproductive health, and the collection of reliable data related to the education and health systems. CPA/ WALIGBIA MYRIAM/Mok