Myriam defends girls’ right to education
Trained in children’s rights and journalistic techniques, Myriam and the Child Reporters of Kamonia advocate for girls’ rights.
- Available in:
- Français
- English
In Kamonia, Kasaï province, girls’ education faces many obstacles. Whereas boys’ education is prioritised, girls are often confined to domestic chores, compelled to work or forced into marriage. “There are girls who are under 18 and are forced to marry without having completed their studies,” says Myriam, 16, who works daily to protect the rights of girls in her community.
Myriam was trained as a Child Reporter by UNICEF in October 2022 with support from the British Embassy in the DRC as part of a pilot project to improve access to quality education for vulnerable children, especially girls. A total of 39 Child Reporters have been trained in Kamonia to enable them to contribute to building fairer and more child-friendly communities.
“I trained as a Child Reporter motivated to defend the rights of the children of Kamonia,” explains Myriam, who now coordinates her actions with her colleagues and supervisors. Becoming a Child Reporter is the first step in Myriam’s fight for the well-being of children. “I am going to study communication to become a journalist specialising in child and adolescent protection issues,” she says.
Thanks to the generous support of the British Embassy in the DRC, UNICEF is implementing a pilot project in Kamonia to improve access to quality education for vulnerable children, especially girls. This project addresses all the issues related to girls’ schooling, through among other things, improving learning conditions and sanitation in schools, improving the quality of education, combating gender-based sexual violence and creating spaces for dialogue and empowerment for women and girls.
