Kinshasa, June 26th, 2025 (CPA).- The participation of young women in governance, political and electoral processes was the subject of discussions on Thursday at the closing of a forum on strengthening women’s leadership in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). ‘We organized this forum on strengthening women’s leadership with the aim of enhancing the participation of young women in governance, political and electoral processes by equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to play a leading role in the social, economic and governance aspects of their respective communities,’ said Edna Koskey, country director of the international NGO International Foundation for Electoral Systems (Ifes). She also encouraged young women to develop effective strategies. « You must have a good strategy. Every day, seek out information, seek out people who will help you learn, and engage in continuous and effective learning. (…), don’t forget God. First of all, what is your intention in doing things? There is more to be gained, dear ladies. Wake up, women. Seek collaboration and cohesion among yourselves. (…), I am really very happy to be with you every other day. Firstly, you have my blessing, my loves, because as the reverend told us, the first blessings of life were given to women, which is why they have beauty. But why have we failed to meet all the standards of our lives? The problem, first and foremost, is us, women, » she emphasized. ‘We think about many things that drag us down. It’s time to wake up. I started as an intern at the electoral commission, and two years later, I moved up. It’s a gradual process. You have to be strong and surround yourself with people who encourage you. It’s strategic,’ she added.
For her part, Bibiane Mbongo, an electoral expert, highlighted the criteria for good leadership among women. « To take on all of society’s responsibilities and succeed, and then be a good leader, you need discipline. In fact, discipline is the mother that leads you to order and excellence. Being disciplined, knowing that I am a teacher, a pastor, a business leader, having an agenda and knowing how to manage it is very important. The second thing is that a good leader is someone who prepares the next generation (…) you always have to think about the next generation, » she explained. ‘The third thing is that a good leader is someone who knows how to delegate. You can’t do everything on your own. Even though I said I took on a role, I have allies who were trained and whom I continue to train,’ she added.
Women encouraged taking an interest in politics
The panellists
The Honorable Nfertiti Ngudianza, Senate rapporteur, encouraged women to take an interest in politics. « You must take an interest in politics. (…) In politics, it’s true that you need to have a career, but you also need to be trained. You need integrity, you need dignity, you need resilience, and you also need fighting spirit. So when I tell you that it’s a cynical world, it’s not to scare you, but to show you that if you want to go into politics, you need to have a good head on your shoulders. And your shoulders have to be strong enough to carry what needs to be carried. It’s a world where there are no free rides. It’s a world where you will take hits, but you also have to know how to give them back. You have to fight, » she said. ‘I insist on this point because, today, social media is there to help us in many ways, but there are many young people today who have lost opportunities because of social media,’ she said. For her part, the Honorable Dominique Munongo, Deputy Rapporteur of the National Assembly, called on women to choose a political party in order to advance in this area. « To advance in politics, the first thing to do is to choose your political party. Secondly, be aware that in a political party, there is a certain discipline and respect for hierarchy, just like in churches. And then you tell yourself that there is the president who is there, or the moral authority, (…) political parties have standards, including how to behave, discipline, integrity and contributions, party dues, » she insisted. ‘Getting involved in politics comes at a cost. Because others will not give you the opportunity to continue, to contribute. And when you contribute, of course, you have the support base. The support base also needs to be maintained, even with the little you have,’ she said. According to the Deputy Rapporteur of the National Assembly, young women need to read a lot. Read about what happened in the United States, in our country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or elsewhere. But read about the journeys of children, about the journeys of male and female politicians. This experience-sharing forum, held on June 25th and 26th, was organized with public political figures and diplomatic corps from the city of Kinshasa by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) as part of its capacity-building initiative for young women called IFES Leadership Club, with financial support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).