CAFOD - Youth and Women engagement towards democracy and peace in DRC CAFOD - Youth and Women engagement towards democracy and peace in DRC CAFOD has submitted a project proposal which aims to strengthen the participation of women and young people in decision-making positions in order to promote democracy and peacebuilding in DR Congo. The work will be done at four levels:
- The first will be at the individual level to allow young people and women to develop leadership to influence local and national decision-making bodies,
- The second level will be work at the community level to sensitize communities to trust women and young people as agents of change for good governance and peacebuilding.
- The third level of work will be to be able to make a permanent diagnosis on the state of parity and the positioning of women and young people in local, provincial and national institutions
- The last level is that which is at the political level thus requires the analysis of certain discriminatory laws and thus influence certain changes through advocacy and lobbying.
From this project, it is expected that the voices of women and young people will be well understood, that their specific needs must be taken into account for development and peace in the DRC. This is the reason that the work will be done mainly by the platforms for youth as well as of women (RSLF). DRC was ranked 179 out of 189 countries in the 2019 Gender Development Index, with Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), particularly endemic in many conflict-affected areas, where more than 2 million women have been raped.
The project will provide an evidence-based, transformational model of institutional support and capacity strengthening which will foster a rights-based and community-led approach that promotes women’s and youth participation in civic and public decision-making processes at all levels and is conflict-sensitive, through joint collaboration and engagement and the promotion of peacebuilding. The project will further promote collaboration among multiple stakeholders, most notably civil society organizations and movements, wider community members, government representatives at all levels.
Specific objectives are :
- Targeted women’s movements and youth organizations are empowered for effective participation and representation in decision-making and peacebuilding processes at all levels by 2023. 
- Targeted women’s movements and youth organizations have a better understanding of and evolving laws, identifying gaps and undertaking relevant advocacy, and participating in decision-making spaces at all levels.
- Women and youth in targeted communities have enhanced economic empowerment, through enhanced business development skills and participation in community-driven and environmentally friendly micro-enterprises.
The project will support the 11 coordination points of the Rien Sans Les Femmes (RSLF) movement in 8 provinces, constituting 300 organizations and 1 million women members; as well as 8 provincial youth platforms in 8 provinces, constituting 9,600 youth (1,200 per province). CAFOD har föreslagit ett projekt som syftar till att stärka kvinnors och ungdomars deltagande i beslutsfattande samt främjande av demokrati och fredsbyggande i DR Kongo. Arbetet kommer att utföras på fyra olika nivåer. 
- Den första nivån avser att på individnivå utveckla ungas och kvinnors ledarskap vad gäller påverkan av lokala och nationella beslutsorgan.
- Den andra nivån omfattar lokalt samhällsengagemang samt stärkt förtroende för kvinnor och unga som förändringsagenter för ett gott styre och fredsbyggande.
- Den tredje nivån avser analys av kvinnors och ungas deltagande i lokala, provinsiella och nationella institutioner. Analysen bör även omfatta hur argument och lobbying kan förändra viss diskriminerande lagstiftning.

Projektet förväntas leda till en förbättrad acceptans av kvinnor och unga och även att deras specifika behov beaktas vid fredsarbetet och utvecklingen av den Demokratiska republiken Kongo. 

Projektet ska huvudsakligen utföras av kongolesiska organisationer och plattformar och omfattar en evidensbaserad modell för tillhandahållande av institutionellt stöd och kapacitetsförstärkning med syftet att främja en rättighetsbaserad och lokalt samhällsstyrd strategi för kvinnors och ungas deltagande i offentliga beslutsprocesser och samarbeten avseende fredsbyggande. Projektet bedöms även främja samarbetet mellan olika intressenter, särskilt mellan civilsamhället,  regeringsrepresentanter och samhällsmedborgare i övrigt .

Specifika mål är: 
- De kvinnorörelser och ungdomsorganisationer som ingår i projektet har stärkt sin förmåga till effektivt deltagande och representation i beslutsfattande och fredsbyggande processer på alla nivåer fram till 2023. 
- De kvinnorörelser och ungdomsorganisationer som ingår i projektet har en bättre förståelse för och utvecklar lagar, identifierar luckor och genomför relevanta argument samt deltar i beslutsfattande på alla nivåer. 
- Kvinnor och ungdomar i samhällen som ingår i projektet har förbättrad ekonomisk styrka genom förbättrad förmåga till affärsutveckling och deltagande i samhällsdrivna och miljövänliga mikroföretag.

Projektet ska även stärka de 11 koordineringsfunktionerna för plattformen Rien Sans Les Femmes i åtta provinser. RSLF utgörs av 300 organisationer och 1 miljon kvinnliga medlemmar. Projektet ska även stärka åtta provinsiella ungdomsplattformar i åtta provinser, som organiserar 9 600 ungdomar (1 200 per provins). The goal of this contribution is: Women and youth in target areas of DRC have a strong voice and representation in decision-making and peace processes at all levels, resulting in sound policies and legislation, promoting gender equality, youth inclusion, peacebuilding and their socio-economic development.
Targeted women’s movements and youth organisations are empowered for effective participation and representation in decision-making and peacebuilding processes at all levels by 2023.
Targeted women’s movements and youth organisations have a better understanding of and evolving laws, identifying gaps and undertaking relevant advocacy, and participating in decision-making spaces at all levels.
Women and youth in target communities have improved economic empowerment, through enhanced business development skills and participation in community-driven and environmentally friendly micro-enterprises
The project will support 11 coordination points of the Rien Sans Les Femmes (RSLF) movement in 8 provinces, constituting 300 organizations and 1 million women members, and
8 provincial youth platforms in 8 provinces, constituting 9,600 youth (1,200 per province)
The project will work in 8 provinces: Kinshasa; Sud-Kivu (Bukavu, Uvira); Nord-Kivu (Goma, Béni); Haut-Katanga; Tanganyka; Kasai-Oriental; Tshopo; Ituri
The project will reach at least 5 million people through women-focused activities, constituting 60% women, 15% men and 25% young girl and boys.
An additional 96,000 youth will to be reached through youth engagement activities.
This will be achieved :
-Data gathering survey for RSLF; diagnostic and needs assessment of RSLF and development of capacity strengthening plans and an RSLF roadmap with input from all 11 coordination points; Provision of sub-grants to RSLF members
Development of a continuous education curriculum on gender equality for schools; radio broadcasting support; Wider community sensitisation; Smartphone app development
Analysis of barriers to youth involvement; diagnostic and needs assessment of youth groups; development and implementation of a youth-focused roadmap.
Training on leadership, mentorship and advocacy skills;
Development and rollout of training module on core advocacy thematic areas; Dialogue meetings; Establishment of Community Action Groups; Advocacy with MPs and Ministers relating to commitments on promoting gender equality;
Advocacy with MPs and Ministers relating to conflict prevention, peacebuilding, tracking and influencing applicable governmental commitments; Advocacy for women’s participation in local and national elections; Community campaigns; Participation in Tribunes d’expression populaires;
Training of youth relating and advocacy and peacebuilding; Support to youth groups and platforms to undertake advocacy with MPs, Ministers and electoral body; Participation in Tribunes d’expression populaires; Training for peace clubs; Establishment of new peace clubs; Establishment of “social communicators”.
Analysis of market systems and constraints; Development of business skills module; Training on entrepreneurship; Establishment of micro-enterprises for both women and youth