At the ceremony, Prof. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, Director General of the INRB, declared: “It is a great pleasure to stand before you in this magnificent setting for the official launch of the INRB’s gender policy, which marks a decisive turning point in the institute’s concern for gender issues.
This policy reflects the INRB’s clear commitment to reducing gender inequality, not only in its governance and institutional practices but also across all of its research, training, and community service activities.”
By applying this policy, the INRB will help to reduce gender inequality, in terms of access both to decision-making positions in the healthcare system and to high-quality healthcare services. Its ambition is aligned with the goals of the national policy on gender, families, and child protection drafted by the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2009.
In practical terms, the INRB’s commitment to reducing gender inequality involves addressing the issues inherent in its organizational practices and governance, as well as in its research, training, and community service activities. The document is divided into nine sections:
- The INRB’s mission
- General background and rationale
- Analysis of the gender context within the INRB
- The INRB’s framework for engagement with international, regional, and national legal instruments
- Objectives of the gender policy
- Guiding principles
- The INRB’s commitments
- Implementing mechanisms
- Final provisions
To achieve this result, the INRB received technical assistance from IBF Expertise as part of a support project led by the Mérieux Foundation and funded by AFD, the French development agency.
Joab Bigaba, head of the Mérieux Foundation’s Central Africa office, emphasized, “In the fields of research and public health, incorporating the gender perspective is essential.As well as promoting equity within the institution, it also improves the relevance and impact of scientific programs and health interventions.”
By supporting the INRB in this initiative, the Mérieux Foundation is helping to establish the institute as a model of scientific excellence and an example of an institution committed to quality and inclusion in research, education, and public health.
Photo credits: INRB
Representing the health minister at the ceremony, Dr. Dieudonné Mwamba, Director General of the National Public Health Institute (INSP), pointed out that the policy’s success now depends on the staff’s commitment to translating these guidelines into concrete action. “By launching this gender policy today, we are underlining our collective commitment to a more equitable, inclusive healthcare system that embodies the values of justice and equality we uphold for our country,” he concluded.
