The combined disruption of ongoing conflict and U.S. foreign assistance cuts has severely disrupted local women-led organizations' ongoing projects and ability to plan for the future. One representative explained, “Unfortunately, the U.S. government’s cutbacks intervened during the crisis in the province, and so it was a double challenge." Another in the focus group responded, "What made it worse was the USAID funding cut."
Date: 12/25
Region: Africa
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Topic: Gender Equality & Inclusion, Refugees & Displacement
Policy Lens: Security & Resilience
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: According to the Women's Refugee Commission, the scale of disruption for local organizations only partially reflects the realities of small women-led organizations. Many of these organizations did not receive direct funding from the U.S. government, but may have been sub-grantees to larger U.S. foreign assistance projects. The consequences of U.S. funding cuts were felt indirectly, according to their research, often through the cascading project closures and the withdrawal of international partners.
This report from the Women's Refugee Commission examines the dual shocks of renewed conflict and funding withdrawal in eastern DRC. The researchers reviewed publicly available secondary resources, and conducted fieldwork in August 2025. They interviewed eight women-led organizations and ten internally displaced women in North and South Kivu.
Source: Women's Refugee Commission