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Creating space for informed choice : supporting young people’s bodily autonomy in the DRC

Creating space for informed choice : supporting young people’s bodily autonomy in the DRC

by | May 7, 2026 | Activities

On April 3, the Democratic Republic of Congo took an important step forward in strengthening sexual and reproductive health (SRH) prevention with the launch of a new youth‑focused initiative at the National Institute for Health Education and Promotion (INPESS). Led by the National Adolescent Health Program (PNSA), with support from Ipas DRC and funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), the initiative seeks to establish a safe, inclusive space for learning, dialogue, and peer‑to‑peer exchange—designed with young people, for young people.

Rather than intervening at the point of crisis, the Youth Center is grounded in a social and behavior change approach, addressing the root causes of vulnerability by strengthening access to reliable information, encouraging critical reflection, and supporting informed decision‑making among adolescents and young people.

Why information and dialogue matter

In the DRC, many adolescents and young people still struggle to access accurate, age‑appropriate SRH information. Deep‑rooted social taboos, limited communication within families and communities, and fear of judgment leave young people—especially girls—without the tools they need to navigate decisions about their bodies and their futures. Too often, these decisions are made alone, under pressure, or when risks have already escalated.

 

A member of the canadian delegation

Public leadership, youth ownership

Women in DRC

The Youth Center is built on a model of shared responsibility. The National Adolescent Health Program (PNSA) provides strategic leadership, ensuring coherence with national health and education priorities, as well as with broader SBC frameworks.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, the PNSA Director emphasized the center’s role as a space for information, listening, and youth‑friendly referral, reinforcing the State’s commitment to adolescent health and to the long‑term sustainability of the initiative.

Equally central to the model is youth leadership. The center will be managed and animated by members of Youth Sprint, creating a strong peer‑to‑peer dynamic. This approach ensures relevance, cultural resonance, and credibility, while allowing young people to act not only as participants, but as facilitators and agents of social change.

By combining institutional leadership with meaningful youth engagement, the initiative reflects a core SBC principle: lasting behavior change grows out of trusted, locally anchored spaces shaped by the people they serve.

A different kind of youth space

The Youth Center has been intentionally designed to operate upstream—before clinical care is sought and before risks escalate. It moves away from service‑delivery models and instead positions information, dialogue, and reflection as the first steps toward prevention.

Crucially, the center is non‑medicalized. Young people come not to receive treatment, but to talk, listen, question, and learn in an environment free from judgment or stigma. This makes it possible to openly address issues that are often silenced: sexual and reproductive health, gender norms, bodily rights, gender‑based violence, and decision‑making.

Grounded in social and behavior change, the center focuses on the norms, beliefs, and power dynamics that shape young people’s choices—particularly those affecting adolescent girls. The aim is not simply to share information, but to foster agency, critical thinking, and confidence.

Another defining feature is that the space will be run by young people, for young people, through Youth Sprint. Peer‑to‑peer engagement strengthens trust, makes conversations more accessible, and transforms young people from information recipients into leaders and advocates.

In practice, the Youth Center will offer:

  • participatory learning sessions on SRH, rights, prevention of unintended pregnancy, and gender‑based violence;
  • peer‑led dialogue spaces that encourage open discussion and shared experiences;
  • confidential listening points that support respectful, individualized guidance and referral;
  • education activities aligned with national priorities and evidence generated by Ipas research

The center will also play a key referral role, helping young people identify appropriate services and navigate safer care‑seeking pathways, without duplicating existing health services.

Changing trajectories by acting early

By placing information, dialogue, and referral at the center of its approach, the Youth Center addresses vulnerability at its source. It creates conditions for young people to understand their options, reflect on their choices, and take informed decisions about their bodies and their lives.

Group of people in the DRC

Over time, this approach contributes to reducing unintended pregnancies, unsafe practices, and gender‑based violence. More broadly, the center stands as a strategic investment in social and behavior change, supporting bodily autonomy and well‑being for adolescents and young people across the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Health Education School Clubs in Kasaï: Empowering Students with Knowledge to Protect Their Lives and Futures

Health Education School Clubs in Kasaï: Empowering Students with Knowledge to Protect Their Lives and Futures

by | Mar 17, 2026 | Activities

In Kasaï Province, an assessment of the CTS ecosystem—child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, and school dropout— revealed deeply rooted challenges affecting adolescents, particularly girls. These interconnected issues continue to undermine girls’ education, health, and life opportunities. In response, school‑based Health Education Clubs were established in six secondary schools: Institut of Tshikapa, Institut Maker Mwangu, Institut Tshikunga, Institut Diketemene, Institut Kene, and Disanka Secondary School.

The assessment highlighted a worrying context marked by persistently high rates of child marriage and adolescent pregnancy, both of which contribute directly to school dropout among girls. These dynamics reinforce cycles of vulnerability and exclusion, limiting girls’ ability to remain in school and exercise their rights.

According to MICS 2017–2018, 54 percent of women aged 20 to 24 in Kasaï were married before the age of 18—nearly twice the national average of 29 percent. Between 2021 and 2024, 425 cases of child marriage were officially recorded in the province, most involving girls aged 15 to 17. These figures illustrate the scale of the challenge and underscore the urgent need for targeted, school‑ and community‑based interventions that address root causes and strengthen protective environments for adolescents.

Health Education Clubs: Safe and Transformative Spaces for Adolescents

The Health Education clubs have become safe, empowering, and transformative spaces for adolescents, strengthening students’ knowledge through structured learning, building teachers’ capacity to deliver comprehensive sexuality education, and encouraging young people to engage in peer‑to‑peer awareness‑raising.

Each club brings together 20 students (12 girls and 8 boys) and is supported by Ipas DRC over a three‑month period. Participants engage in eight structured learning modules covering key themes such as HIV and STI prevention, adolescent pregnancy and child marriage, healthy relationships, consent, gender, and community engagement—equipping them with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions and support their peers.

The results of this approach have been tangible. One hundred and twenty students were directly trained and subsequently shared their knowledge with more than 1,400 fellow students. The initiative also culminated in an inter‑school competition that mobilized nearly 6,000 participants, with Institut Tshikunga awarded the Makoki ya Mwasi Trophy 2025—a strong indicator of the programme’s reach, relevance, and impact.

Building on this momentum, the second edition of the initiative (2025–2026) was officially launched at Disanka Secondary School, in the presence of provincial education authorities, teachers, parents, and more than 800 students. This launch marked a new phase of collective engagement to advance adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health and rights within school communities.

Girls’ Education: A Persistent Structural Challenge

The Health Education clubs respond to a broader national challenge. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 66.3 percent of students who dropped out of school in 2017–2018 were girls, with pregnancy cited as one of the leading reasons. A study conducted in Kinshasa by the National Service for Women and Development under the Ministry of Gender, Family and Children revealed that, despite legal provisions allowing pregnant girls to remain in school, significant barriers persist in practice.

School dropout rates were already alarmingly high as early as 2013, exceeding 22 percent in both the first and final years of primary education. Out of nearly three million children enrolled in first grade, approximately 700,000 left school during or at the end of the academic year. These figures highlight the urgent need for coordinated, preventive interventions that address both structural and social determinants.

Despite these challenges, the clubs have contributed to meaningful change at the school level. As noted by Joseph Muyaya, Principal of Institut Maker Mwangu:

“ By the end of the school year, the results were remarkable. We recorded zero cases of pregnancy among girls. It was a year that brought us great satisfaction. . “

Beyond this outcome, he also observed a shift in behaviour: girls reported fewer cases of harassment and demonstrated greater confidence in protecting themselves, asserting their rights, and making informed decisions.

Towards an Informed and Resilient Generation

Implemented by Ipas DRC with support from the Norad project, the Health Education clubs demonstrate that community engagement goes beyond awareness‑raising. It equips adolescents—girls and boys alike—with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to understand their rights, defend them, and put them into practice.

The programme will conclude in May with the second edition of the “Makoki Ya Mwasi” inter‑school competition, celebrating students’ intelligence, creativity, courage, and civic engagement—hallmarks of a generation better prepared to shape its future.