The starting signal has been given in Mbour for National Women's Week 2026. The launch ceremony, presided over by the Minister of Family and Solidarity, Maïmouna Dièye, was held in the seaside capital as a prelude to the celebration of International Women's Day on March 8. Established by the United Nations, this day is being celebrated this year under the theme: "Rights, Justice, Action for All Women and Girls." In Senegal, the event is part of a national initiative centered on the Economic and Social Recovery Plan (PRES) – JUBBANTI KOOM, with the theme: "Operationalizing the PRES – JUBBANTI KOOM: Women in Action at the Grassroots Level."

A national caravan in the eight territorial hubs

The celebration will take place from March 1st to 8th, 2026, in the form of a national caravan traveling through the various regions and eight territorial hubs. At each stop, technical panels will be organized to gather women's input on key actions to be taken within the framework of the JUBBANTI KOOM initiative. Discussions will focus on financing systems, social protection mechanisms, and domestic resource mobilization, including public offerings, sustainable, green, and blue finance, gender bonds, crowdfunding, and Islamic finance. The closing ceremony is scheduled for March 8th, 2026, at the Doudou Ndiaye Coumba Rose National Grand Theater, where representatives from the eight hubs will present the conclusions of their work.

Minister Maïmouna Dièye expressed her pride in launching this week's event in Mbour, the hometown of Caroline Faye Diop, a pioneer in the fight for women's rights and Senegal's first female member of parliament. She noted that the international theme resonates with the work of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, in a global context where the recognition of women's legal rights remains estimated at only 64%, thus highlighting the persistence of structural discrimination.

The blue economy is at the heart of the priorities of the Thiès cluster

Given the specific economic characteristics of the Thiès region and its coastline, the Mbour forum focused on women's empowerment within the blue economy. "The blue economy is not limited to fishing," the minister emphasized. She clarified that this sector also encompasses seafood processing, sustainable aquaculture, and the opportunities linked to the future deep-water port of Ndayane, the Regional Express Train, and the international airport.

She advocated for a shift from artisanal processing to a genuine, high-value-added maritime agri-food industry, with enhanced technical and technological skills for women. Among the announcements made, the Thiès region is at the heart of this year's priority projects, particularly those focused on strengthening child protection, building the resilience of poor households, and the national women's empowerment project. Specific funding was also announced. On the sidelines of the ceremony, a food aid package, including five tons of rice and nearly one ton of other products, was delivered to a Koranic school (daara) during this month of Ramadan.

Reaffirming that "the transformation of Senegal will be built with women, by women and for women", under the vision of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, the minister officially declared the launch of National Women's Week 2026, inviting participants to make this edition a historic milestone for women's empowerment.