Location: Kasai, South Kivu

FHI 360 UK worked in Kasai and South Kivu in DRC to deliver two reports to FCDO DRC: “Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Political Economy Analysis (PEA) for South Kivu and Kasai” and “Civil Society Landscape Mapping in South Kivu and Kasai”. This research built FCDO DRC’s understanding of the civil society landscape and barriers and enablers to women’s political participation in Kasai and South Kivu and informed the design of the FCDO’s governance programming in DRC.

FHI 360 UK worked closely with FHI 360’s DRC team, with offices across DRC, to facilitate logistics and on-the-ground research in both provinces. Research included a series of semi-structured key informant interviews with representatives from civil society, women’s organisations, government, and political parties and focus group discussions in both provinces with representatives of women’s organisations.

The CSO Mapping identified key CSOs and CSO coordination mechanisms in the two provinces; looked at how CSOs are seeking to advance accountability; built understanding of CSO relationships with government in Kasai and South Kivu; and identified key opportunities and challenges for CSOs. The GESI PEA looked at structural constraints and enablers to women’s political participation including both formal and informal rules and norms. The report also identified key ‘pathways to change’ in South Kivu and Kasai which included recommendations on how donors could respond to identified challenges to women’s political participation.