Dakar hosted a continental meeting on Wednesday devoted to African women and girls. Organised by the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) at the initiative of Senegal’s First Lady, Marie Khone Faye, the event was attended by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who urged stronger action on their behalf in the face of climate disruption and conflict.
The meeting focused on the resilience of women and girls exposed to these two threats. Its aim was to produce concrete action in three areas: education, protection and economic empowerment.
Opening the proceedings, Marie Khone Faye presented the programmes she leads in Senegal to improve girls’ access to school, protect them better and support women’s financial independence. She then encouraged her counterparts to turn the campaign into a genuine continent-wide movement, with measurable results in each country.
The head of state, for his part, praised the First Ladies’ commitment to defending women’s rights, whether in education, health, economic independence or the fight against violence. He recalled that their advocacy had helped persuade the United Nations to designate 27 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye also reaffirmed the support of regional and sub-regional organisations for initiatives that improve the living conditions of women and girls, an issue he considers central to Africa’s development.
For Dakar, the meeting builds on the guidelines of the national transformation agenda “Senegal 2050”, which makes equity and gender equality key drivers of development. The question now is whether the momentum shown on Wednesday will lead to funded and monitored programmes in OAFLAD member countries.