Minister Raïssa Malu commits her administration to fighting GBV and promoting ethics in schools

Raïssa Malu Dinanga, Minister of State and Minister of National Education and New Citizenship (EDU-NC), presided over the official signing ceremony on Monday, November 24, 2025, at the Fleuve Congo Hotel, the official signing ceremony for the pledge by administrative and political staff to adhere to the code of conduct for public officials and to the provisions regarding gender-based violence (GBV), exploitation, sexual abuse, and harassment (EAS/HS). This strategic meeting also featured a presentation of Code 22 and the Complaints Management Mechanism (CMM) by the Girls’ Learning and Empowerment Project (PAAF), as well as a brief presentation of the code of conduct and the pledge by Acting Secretary General Alexis Yoka Lapulinangu, prior to the formal signing by the Minister of State and the stakeholders. The event brought together a range of institutional actors, including the Special Advisor to the Head of State on Education, the Provincial Minister of Education in Kinshasa, the Deputy Coordinator of PAAF, the Inspector General of EDU-NC, several secretaries-general of the public administration, members of the Minister of State’s cabinet, the Director General of the Observatory for the Monitoring of Corruption and Professional Ethics, and Provincial Chief Inspector Nicolas Nyange. Institutional Mobilization for Public Ethics The Minister of State was the first to sign, followed by the Acting Secretary General, the Inspector General, the Chief of Staff to the Minister of National Education, and all relevant institutional representatives. In her welcoming remarks, PAAF Deputy Coordinator Alice Mutambayi welcomed the participation of stakeholders and reiterated the importance of the project. PAAF: $400 Million to Secure Girls’ Education Alice Mutambayi emphasized that the PAAF, funded to the tune of $400 million over five years by the World Bank, aims to improve and secure access to education, particularly for girls, in public secondary schools across the ten target provinces. According to her, the project supports activities to promote school governance and combats negative attitudes that hinder access to education. Since the start of its implementation, the PAAF has been working to update the tools of the Environmental and Social Engagement Plan (EES); the code of conduct for project staff; and the commitment to the code of conduct for public officials. These tools are intended to strengthen accountability and contribute to the achievement of the project’s objectives. A Nationwide Awareness Campaign Between May and October, the PAAF conducted a large-scale awareness campaign on the code of conduct for state public officials. This campaign, led under the auspices of the Acting Secretary General of EDU-NC, reached over 5,000 administrative staff members, whose files were updated and digitized; to raise awareness among 233,000 teachers (tenured, contract, and administrative staff) in 12,551 public secondary schools regarding Code 22, complaint management mechanisms, the toll-free number 178, GBV, EAS, HS, and disciplinary procedures. For Alice Mutambayi, these measures will significantly contribute to strengthening governance in the sub-sector. She nevertheless expressed regret over the low proportion of women in secondary schools and called for “special attention.” In his remarks, Acting Secretary-General Alexis Yoka Lapulinangu highlighted the fundamental importance of signing the commitment document:

“This act embodies the spirit of the change in mindset we all so dearly desire. The Minister of State has taken a strong, symbolic, and practical step. It demonstrates genuine respect for ethics, for accountability begins at the top.”

He noted that this initiative aligns perfectly with the 2016–2025 Sectoral Strategy for Education and Training (SSEF), which is centered on equity, quality, and transparent governance. The SG urged administrators to follow this example to protect professional dignity, while affirming that this act constitutes “a milestone that history will remember.” Toward a New Era for Congolese Educational Administration Established by Ministerial Decree No. 1000 EDU-NC/CABMIN/GB/025/2021 of July 2, 2021, the Code of Conduct for Teaching Staff aims to regulate teachers’ behavior toward themselves, their students, their colleagues, their superiors, and the community. It comprises 22 articles divided into four sections covering general provisions, rules of conduct, disciplinary measures, and final provisions. This code strictly prohibits gender-based violence, abuse, exploitation, and harassment in all their forms. Taking the floor, Minister of State Raïssa Malu Dinanga delivered a strong message about the Ministry’s ethical vision:

“The activity that brings us together today is at the heart of the PAAF’s mission: to promote civic engagement and ensure safe and inclusive educational environments. Every child, especially every girl, must learn in a setting free from threats.”

She noted that Code 22, launched four years ago through PERSE and PAQUE, was first implemented in primary schools before being extended to secondary schools, and this year to the administrative and political staff of EDU-NC. The minister emphasized:

“We cannot tolerate the future of our children being threatened in places that should be their sanctuary. By signing this commitment, we become the guardians of integrity in the service of education. Our signature is a pledge of discipline and responsibility.”  

Recalling President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi’s zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual harassment and abuse, she assured that any report will be investigated immediately and that any proven misconduct will be punished regardless of rank or school district. Finally, she called on all staff to make this pledge a national model of integrity.

“We are the National Education System. We are preparing our children’s future; we are building the nation.”

This ceremony marks a major step forward in the moralization, accountability, and professionalization of the education subsector. It ushers in a new era where ethics, integrity, discipline, and responsibility become the pillars of the Congolese education administration. Shomba Marie