The political participation of young women leaders at the centre of discussions in Kinshasa

Kinshasa, June 25^th, 2025 (CPA) – The political participation of young women leaders has been at the centre of discussions at a forum on women’s leadership which opened on Wednesday in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. ‘This forum aims to build the capacity of young women to engage themselves effectively in political, electoral and community processes. It will enable young women to improve their knowledge and skills in key areas such as public management, governance, diplomacy, parliamentary work and community participation’, has declared Edna Koskey, Country Director of the international NGO Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). ‘Several topics have been discussed with a view to facilitating the sharing of academic and young representatives of organisations experiences between these women leaders and a diverse young audience, made up of students from civil society, all aspiring leaders in their respective fields,’ she has added. In her view, these exchanges have helped to bring together young and experienced women leaders from different generations. ‘The participants have discussed in particular the integration of young women in peace-building initiatives and conflict prevention in DRC,‘ she has said. The IFES Country Director has indicated that this forum on women’s leadership, which targeted young women students and leaders from universities, civil society, government and parliament, plans to improve the political, electoral and community participation of women in DRC. This programme of strengthening women’s leadership in DRC has been implemented by the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), with financial support from the Commonwealth Foreign and Development Office in DRC, by promoting knowledge transfer and intergenerational commitment to increase and effective female participation in public life. This intellectual synergy between the generations also aims to improve the quality of decision-making by the new generation of women leaders, so that they can play an effective role in the 2028 elections and strengthen democratic practices and inclusive governance in DRC. ACP/