Poverty, prostitution, insecurity, and precarious living conditions are the hallmarks of the Pakadjuma neighborhood in Kinshasa. The insecurity in this neighborhood is compounded by extreme poverty, pushing many women to engage in survival activities, often at the expense of their health.

No matter the cause, humanitarian crises often mean an increase in sexual and reproductive health needs—yet access to safe abortion remains one of the most forgotten of those needs. Ipas Democratic Republic of Congo is making sure that access to abortion is included in humanitarian aid response to the devastating armed conflict in North Kivu.