Project profile — Support for Civic and Electoral Education

This project aims to increase public participation in the electoral process and in democratic life in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The first component of the project supports capacity-building for civil society organisations and a vast civic education campaign that focuses on engaging women and youth. The second component of the project is directed at civic education and education for peace in the school system, but also outside the school system in order to reach out of school youth. The main activities include: (1) producing training modules and training trainers in the field; (2) implementing three civic and electoral education campaigns across the country before the local, provincial and national elections, with an expected reach of approximately 4 million people per campaign; (3) training and deploying 10,000 national election observers across the country; (4) producing training modules and training facilitators on strengthening the leadership of elected women; designing, producing and disseminating academic and educational tools (manuals, posters, etc.) on democracy, equality between women and men, peace and non-violence in order to reinforce the civic education program throughout 2000 classrooms in primary and secondary schools.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) a more prepared and better equipped civil society that contributes to an increased and more active participation of the public, particularly women and youth, in the electoral process and in democratic life in the country; (2) Congolese girls and boys trained in the values of democracy, equality between women and men, peace and non-violence, such that they adopt and maintain responsible behaviours and promote civic initiatives.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (May 2020) include: (1) increased participation, especially among women and youth, in the electoral process and in democratic life in the DRC; (2) increased civic mindedness and civic engagement among Congolese youth; and (3) more than 24 million Congolese are better informed about the political situation and changes necessary for the country’s development. These results have contributed to a civil society that is better prepared and equipped, which in turn contributes to the increased and more active participation of the population, especially among women and youth, in the electoral process and in democratic life in the country.