Action des Femmes a la Non-Violence (AFN) was granted a third year of funding in 2015. AFN is a grassroots organization in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, founded in 2008 by women and girls who came together as one to campaign for the abolition of the ongoing gender-based abuse, sexual harassment, torture, and sexual violence against women. With their grant from the Fund last year, AFN implemented two training workshops on women’s human rights, leadership and governance entitled “Legal campaign against sexual violence and impunity.” They conducted other leadership workshops that encouraged them to participate actively in decision-making processes as protagonists in their homes, work places, community and in the society.

This coming year, seminars will be held on women’s human rights, literacy and leadership capacity building. They will also establish a vocational skills development center to enable women and young girls to acquire practical skills that would allow them to become self-sustainable and improve their financial situations. The center will offer programs in sewing, and hairdressing, manicure and pedicure. The women will also learn financial management skills and they will establish a revolving capital fund with their own money to help finance the material costs of the women’s small businesses in this collective.