In Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), programmes to support the release, recovery and reintegration (commonly known as ‘DDR’) of former girl soldiers fall far short of what is required. Despite being estimated to comprise 30 to 40 per cent of children involved in armed forces and groups, girls only represent eight per cent of children demobilised. They are particularly under-represented in recovery and reintegration programmes.
With this challenge in mind, Child Soldiers International’s programme aims to improve best practice for DDR assistance, using the opinions and experiences of the former girl soldiers themselves. This work builds upon our consultations with Congolese NGOs, the DRC government, MONUSCO and UNICEF throughout 2012-2015, and follows on from the recommendations made by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to the DRC government in February 2012.