The Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship is stepping up its efforts to create a safe, equitable, and exemplary school environment. As part of this effort, activities to combat gender-based violence (GBV), sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual harassment (SEA/SH) were officially launched on Monday, November 17, in the Kasaï Oriental 1 educational province, as part of the PERSE Project.
All cases of GBV/SA/SH must be reported via the number 178, the “Allô École” hotline, made available to allow victims or their loved ones to immediately submit their complaints to the ministry. Educational stakeholders (teachers, school principals, students) and parents are being educated on prevention, reporting, and rapid response to such violence.
Lasting nine months, this project is part of the ongoing reforms aimed at making public primary education free. For Merveille Ngalula, lead representative of the consortium of NGOs in the GBV sub-cluster, this initiative addresses a major challenge: protecting students facing abuse and various forms of violence.
“Through this initiative, we want to sow the seeds of a better future, where every child, without distinction, will have access to quality education, free from violence, and will be able to believe in their daily lives,” she stated.
The provincial coordinator of PERSE, Léonard Mutinyi, praised the program’s scope and recommended its expansion to the Kasaï Oriental 2 educational province. The PROVED representative, Maurice Kanda, emphasized the need for close collaboration with the GBV focal points already operating in schools.
Presiding over the ceremony, the provincial Minister of Education, Jean-Luc Mwambakamba, reaffirmed the provincial government’s full commitment to supporting this transformative initiative.
“The education sector is a very important pillar and enables the social reintegration of these former combatants. I invite you all to embrace this project,” he said.
These activities are part of the fourth guiding principle of the MINEDUC-NC’s 2024–2029 Five-Year Plan, which emphasizes the promotion of equity and inclusion as values that form the foundation of all the ministry’s actions.
Willy Kambulu
