Ipas DRC
Non-profit organization
Hello Mr/Mrs/Miss! I’m Nurse Nisa.
Makoki Ya Mwasi
Empowering women for gender equity
Ipas, in collaboration with civil society and professional organizations, set up a feminist, intersectional and grassroots movement for reproductive justice called “Makoki ya Mwasi,” which means “women’s ability” in Lingala. This movement is essential to Ipas’ community engagement, advocacy and opposition
monitoring strategy.
As an intersectional movement, Makoki ya Mwasi brings together youth-led and women-led organizations, male engagement networks, champions (Makoki ya Mwasi ambassadors), and professional organizations such as women lawyers, magistrates, journalist’ networks, societies of midwives and gynecologists, making them partners in the fight for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to legal, safe and free-of-stigma-abortion care.
The movement on the ground
“Habari carries out activities to break the taboo, and social codes, and thus fight against toxic masculinity and promote the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls.”
Laetitia Lihau
Assistant de projet Habari RDC
“Sustainable solutions on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights can only be implemented with the involvement of all stakeholders.”
Albert-Fabrice Mpuelaa
DRC Minister of Human Rights
“We want young people to understand that their assets, talents, and expertise must be used to benefit the whole community, which means producing works of art that raise awareness, especially with regard to the fight against rape and violence against women through the Makoki Ya Mwasi Movement, or others that can be developed along similar lines.”
Emmanuel Mikalababa
Provincial Coordinator of CREEIJ asbl
“Gender-Based Violence, family planning, and youth networks are essential sources of referrals for safe abortion care. We believe that connecting young people to local efforts will benefit women and girls who have been raped or found with a positive pregnancy test from the family planning center.”
Benjamin Sabue
Program Manager at Youth Sprint
“As Masujaa, we’re not just there to inform about sexual and reproductive health rights. We’re here to listen to these women and girls who were silenced and had no one who could understand them.”
Lyn Kakira
Mashujaa
“Youthfim is a member of the coalition Youthsprint. We used to do grassroots activities, but the coalition taught us a lot. This complementarity has enabled Youthfim to move forward in its various activities. The capacity-building workshops given by Ipas have enabled us as Youthfim to make even greater progress in the fight for women’s rights.”
Melchie Ibula
Youthfim National Coordinator
“Our collaborative work with IPAS is an important asset in improving access to reliable information and safe abortion services in North Kivu. Thanks to this partnership we have set up a referral network of young people involved in advocacy, community involvement and the referral of young girls and women to sexual and reproductive health services. Today, with the “positive masculinity” approach, the Mashujaa are gradually redefining gender norms in the Bulengo IDP camp, through exchanges in the community.”
Dr Simon Bine Mambo
Executive Director YARH-DRC
“As a member of Youthsprint, the financial support from Ipas has enabled us to do more activities. Thanks to the support from Ipas, our scope of action has widened, and we now have enough resources to supply all our provinces (Kinshasa, Kongo Central, Kasaï Oriental and South Kivu).”
Oracle Itoko
ASRJ member of YouthSprint
“I’m proud to be a Makoki Ya Mwasi champion. I help women in my constituency to get reliable information on sexual and reproductive health rights.”
Christelle Vuanga
Member of Parliament and President of the Permanent Commission on Gender
Join the MyM Movement
Are you an actor of change that engage communities on SRHR, Education, and Women Empowerment within their respective fields?
Are you committed to change that and engage communities on SRHR, Education?