DRC: the women urged to become more involved in entrepreneurship to achieve economic empowerment

Kinshasa, September 10th, 2026 (ACP) – The women and young people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been urged on Thursday in Kinshasa (the capital) by the Chair of the Board of Directors of a government body to become more involved in entrepreneurship in order to achieve economic independence, during celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of a non-governmental organization. “I call on women and young people to become more involved in entrepreneurship; that is how they will become economically independent and contribute effectively to our country’s economy. We are here to support them as entrepreneurs. Let them come and see us; that is our mission,” has declared Maguy Rwakabuba, Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Agency for the Development of Congolese Entrepreneurship (Anadec). The Chairwoman has indicated that her agency, which acts as the government’s technical arm in the field of entrepreneurship, remains committed to support initiatives aiming to promote the economic empowerment of women and the integration of young people. “We encourage young people, women and everyone to become entrepreneurs. We are here to support them in bringing their projects to fruition, in particular through training, access to funding schemes, the guarantee fund and opportunities in the subcontracting sector, in collaboration with the relevant organizations,” she has added. Ms Rwakabuba has praised the ten-year anniversary of the NGO Action for the Development and Empowerment of African Communities (ADEAC), before highlighting her commitment to supporting women in this field. According to the Chairperson, the initiative led by the NGO’s founder and country representative, Solange Masumbuko, has enabled more than twenty thousand (20,000) women to receive training and funding for their projects. She has also invited young project leaders to seize the opportunities offered by the presidential programme ‘Debout congolais, Arise, Young Congolese’, launched by the Head of State, Felix Tshisekedi, on June 30th, which is dedicated to youth employment and entrepreneurship. She has stated that the programme prioritizes ‘merit through hard work’ and is based on three main pillars: vocational training, entrepreneurship and project funding, access to employment, and equal opportunities. ACP/