Young women play a crucial role in advancing the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This paper analyses the contributions and strategies of young people, specifically young women, to the YPS agenda.
It shares their positive contributions in decentring traditional hierarchies, finding alternatives to promoting diverse voices and emphasizing the value of creating spaces that prioritise diverse perspectives, collaboration, and inclusivity between the provincial and national levels.
The paper further seeks to contribute to the growing literature and knowledge of young women’s leadership to advance the institutionalisation of the YPS agenda in the DRC and the challenges of overcoming hierarchical and culturally established norms.
And it aims to recognise young women’s role in the promotion of strong engagement among youth at the local and national levels through the creation of the YPS coalition and the organising of advocacy meetings with public officials that have led to the creation of a governmental body within the Congolese Ministry of Youth to coordinate efforts for the advancement of the YPS agenda in the DRC.