Kinshasa, June 24th, 2025 (CPA) – Ninety (90) girl victims of gender-based violence (GBV) in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), were certified as part of the ‘Toyokana’ project, at a ceremony organised on Tuesday by the Urban Division of Social Affairs in collaboration with technical and financial support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). ‘Today we are celebrating a journey of resilience, courage and achievement. The girls (90) we are honoring today are no longer victims; they are bearers of the future ready to transform their experiences into strength. Thanks to Unicef’s support and the work carried out by our Urban Social Affairs Division, our Toyokana project has become a place of learning and emancipation for these young girls’, said Florent Boto, Unicef child protection specialist. ‘This event not only marks a significant milestone in the lives of these young girls, but also provides an opportunity to reflect on our collective commitment to combating the gender-based violence that affects young girls in the city of Kinshasa,’ he said. For Mr Boto, the efforts are aimed at meeting the specific needs of those who have suffered gender-based violence by providing them with essential skills that will enable them to integrate into the digital world. ‘Information is not just a technical field, it has become a vector of empowerment and a springboard to future professional opportunities’, he said. He pointed out that the skills acquired during this training open doors not only for themselves, but also for their families and communities.
Digital exclusion is a form of injustice
According to Prinscilia Muvudi, spokesperson for Femmin Tech, in a world marked by advances in artificial intelligence, connectivity and empowerment, digital exclusion is a form of injustice.
‘Often it is girls and marginalised communities who pay the price. That’s why Femmin Tec’s action is essential and exemplary. In the DRC, Femmin Tec is committed to offering girls and women stable access to technological training, building their capacity and developing their leadership skills,’ she said. ‘Through this program, Femmin Tec is effectively contributing to a number of development goals, in particular MDG4 for quality education, MDG5 for gender equality, MDG8 for inclusive growth, and MDG9 for innovation and culture’, she said. The ‘Femmin Tech’ spokeswoman took the opportunity to call for support for her organization in investing in girls through inclusive policies and training to transform lives, families and entire communities, because ‘empowering a girl means sowing resilience, training a woman, transforming a country’.
Intensifying efforts to help victims of violence
The DRC government was also urged to step up its efforts to support girls who are victims of gender-based violence. ‘The DRC government, international and local NGOs and those involved in child protection must step up their efforts to support all girls who are victims of gender-based violence in Kinshasa’, said Stéphanie Makiese, the beneficiary of certification for 90 girls trained by Femmin TECH. ‘The Toyokana project, funded by UNICEF and implemented by the Urban Division of Social Affairs, was a real starting point. In the Toyokana space in Kalamu, we learned not only the digital skills that are essential for our future, but also how to believe in ourselves’, she added.
The ceremony was also marked by a number of speeches, including those by the representative of the Secretary General for Social Affairs, Lucie Kanku, Head of the Urban Division of Social Affairs in Kinshasa, and testimonies from victims of violence.