Addressing Gender Inequalities to Advance Immunization Coverage and Equity
Gender and immunization case studies: Democratic Republic of the Congo
About
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), over 700,000 children have not received a single routine vaccine dose, often due to gender-related barriers. This case study explores how the WASHINDI initiative is helping to overcome such barriers to immunization in the DRC.
Led by UNICEF, the Ministry of Public Health and national partner GHOVODI, the initiative works to reach zero-dose children by tackling harmful norms, empowering women and engaging communities. WASHINDI strengthens women’s leadership, promotes shared decision-making at home, trains adolescent girls as peer educators and mobilizes trusted community leaders. It also supports practical service improvements like mobile and home-based vaccination, linking social change with stronger health systems.
Implemented across six provinces, the WASHINDI approach demonstrates how advancing gender equality can improve immunization outcomes. The case study highlights key strategies, challenges, lessons learned and good practices, offering valuable insights into how scaling and embedding this model within national systems could help reach underserved and zero-dose children.
