Decree on the creation and organisation of the National Agency to Combat Violence against Women and Girls (Décret n° 09/38 du 10 octobre 2009 portant création, organisation et fonctionnement de l’Agence nationale de lutte contre les violences faites à la Femme et à la Jeune et Petite Fille)

After the passage of the Child Protection Act in 2009, human rights activists advocated for the government to create agencies that would provide assistance to young girls who had been victims of sexual violence, especially given that the 2006 law on sexual violence had not been followed by concrete action by the government. In response to this advocacy, the Prime Minister issued this decree. Based in Kinshasa, the agency’s mission is to publicize the law, strengthen prevention and protection, fight impunity, support security and justice reforms, formulate responses to victims’ needs, and effectively manage data and information. However, concerns have been expressed that the agency does not work as it should, a key reason being lack of adequate financial support from the government.