Kinshasa, October 12th, 2025 (CPA). – On Saturday, teenage girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were encouraged to take ownership of public policy in order to influence the decisions made at the West and Central African Girls’ Summit held in Senegal, in a message from the Minister of National Education on International Day of the Girl. « Young ladies, if you are serious about your ambition to influence policy, and in particular the government, to take charge of the issues that concern you, you must take an interest in this panel. When you make your case, it must take into account all the ministries concerned with adolescent issues, using a cross-cutting approach, » said Raïssa Malu, Minister in charge of National Education and New Citizenship. The minister emphasized the need to establish a coordinated institutional mechanism, stressing that this approach aims to ensure greater accountability for states’ commitments to addressing issues related to adolescence. « What we need is a common framework for investment in adolescents, validated at the government level. It is very important that you understand this, so that you know how to lobby decision-makers, » she added. This advocacy is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the participation of young girls in decision-making processes and to ensure that their needs are integrated into public policies. Ms Malu reiterated that advocacy for girls, is not a privilege but a requirement for development, emphasizing the need to equip adolescent girls with the tools and skills to engage effectively with decision-makers and contribute to building more equitable societies.
As a reminder, on December 19th, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed, through Resolution 66/170, October 11th as International Day of the Girl Child, in order to recognise the rights of girls and the particular obstacles they face around the world. ACP/