A consultation was held, bringing together the Deputy Governor of Ziguinchor in charge of development, several relevant stakeholders and state services, and women's organizations from the three departments of the southern region. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the preliminary draft of the framework law on women's economic empowerment. The State, through the government, has committed to developing this draft law by the end of 2025, in order to create a strategic framework to support women's entrepreneurship and economic inclusion.  

 

The Deputy Governor in charge of development, Alsény Bangoura, welcomed the meeting with women's organizations in the region to discuss the draft law on women's economic empowerment. This draft law, overseen by the Ministry of Family, Social Action, and Solidarity, is being developed in conjunction with the Belgian international cooperation agency, Enabel. The law addresses the future of women in Senegal and the challenges they face in their daily lives.

According to the deputy governor, this workshop has facilitated the territorialization of public policies. "The ministry could certainly have organized a workshop in Dakar and brought together women's organizations at the national level, but it preferred to organize regional workshops, allowing us, the departmental and regional stakeholders, to propose solutions, to have access to the draft bill, to learn more about its content, and above all, to formulate proposals aimed at improving it."

Alsény Bangoura added that proposals have been put forward regarding the reform of the Family Code, the reform of the role of women in decision-making bodies, and especially the adaptation financing mechanisms, vocational training, entrepreneurship for the benefit of women, among others.

 

According to the administrative authority, "Ziguinchor is unique in Senegal regarding the place given to women. In Ziguinchor, for example, we do not have the place given to women in society. Perhaps we now need to see how to support them. And it is in this context that we can commend the relevance of this workshop."