The province of Sud-Kivu faces complex and persistent challenges marked by post crisis instability, recurring conflicts, population displacement, economic fragmentation, and widespread gender-based violence (GBV). State structures have limited capacity to provide quality public services, while the labour market remains largely informal, with most youth engaged in precarious subsistence activities. These constraints disproportionately affect young women and marginalized groups, who face greater barriers in accessing training, income opportunities, and leadership spaces.
In this context, access to professional training, economic integration, and gender-transformative approaches becomes essential to strengthen resilience, promote stability, and reduce gender inequalities. The UPEG project responds to these needs by improving the employability of young women and men, empowering communities, and supporting positive social norms that help build safer, more equitable environments.
UPEG is part of a wider initiative funded by the European Union and executed by Enabel, whose overall goal is to contribute to the eradication of gender based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This broader programme aims to achieve this by strengthening the socio economic autonomization and leadership of women, mobilising communities, and reinforcing national mechanisms to fight GBV.
The programme is structured around three specific objectives:
Swisscontact is responsible for contributing to the achievement of SO2 in the province of Sud-Kivu—namely the reinforcement of the socio economic autonomy and leadership of young women and men.
To do so, the project strengthens the continuum professional orientation → vocational training → labour market insertion, ensuring that each young participant receives tailored support, high quality training, and coaching that leads to either employment or self employment. The approach is innovative and personalized: every participant follows an individual pathway aligned with their capacities, aspirations, and the economic opportunities available locally.
The action is deliberately gender transformative, integrating gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) into all interventions—from curriculum development and learning environment adaptations to the design of teaching materials, coaching practices, entrepreneurship support, and community mobilisation. This ensures not only gender positive but also gender transformative change.
Swisscontact also collaborates closely with local actors (training centres, master craftsmen trainers, community organisations, savings groups) and aligns with the complementary interventions of the Fondation Panzi to ensure holistic support for young men and women, including survivors of GBV.
UPEG contributes to the overall goal of reducing gender based violence in the region by transforming economic, social, and leadership dynamics. Its specific objectives are aligned with SO2:
Objective 1 — Strengthen socio professional skills of young women and men (OS2R1)
Enhance access to market relevant professional training, life skills, and financial literacy so that young people can acquire technical, entrepreneurial, and social competencies needed for economic autonomy.
Objective 2 — Increase employment, self employment and income levels (OS2R2)
Support the transition from training to economic integration through coaching, entrepreneurship support, and access to community based financial mechanisms, leading to higher employment rates and improved livelihoods.
Objective 3 — Reinforce women’s leadership and promote positive masculinity (OS2R3)
Build leadership among women and promote positive masculinity among men and community leaders, creating more inclusive decision making spaces and reducing harmful gender norms.