Voices from Western and Central Africa: Standing Up for the Power of Girls

Aissata Tidiane Toure, a construction engineer turned gender activist

“When you make a commitment, you have to take responsibility for it,” says 24-year-old Aissata Toure, from Tiro in the central region of Faranah in Guinea. 

Despite a difficult childhood, Aissata pursued her dreams with determination. At the age of 16, she founded with other friends the Club des Jeunes Filles Leaders de Guinée, a safe space supported by the Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographics (SWEDD) project that brings together young girls to share experiences and learn life skills.

“The club has enabled me to become a leader and to take several training courses on gender-based violence (GBV), which has given me the opportunity to become this strong girl who champions girls' rights,” she explains.

And this young activist has left an indelible mark on the remote villages of her region, courageously fighting against issues such as early marriage and female genital mutilation. Thanks to her actions, she has saved a dozen girls from excision camps.

"This is my greatest source of pride,” she says. “A simple act can save a life. If we remain silent, we become accomplices in the atrocities committed against women and girls, and that can have a huge impact on the rest of their lives.”  

King of the Seas and the Oceans and Spiritual Leader Daagbo Hounon Houna II preaches for girls’ education

His Majesty “Dada, King of the Seas and Oceans,” a spiritual leader of the Voodoo cult and chair of the National Religious Platform in Benin, is a strong advocate for keeping girls in school and improving the place of women and girls in society.

“All children are born equal, and girls can do the same things as boys. No discrimination should be allowed. The Voodoo community has been holding seminars on girls’ education to help ensure the well-being of our nation.”

Benin, like other countries in Africa, is facing a demographic boom. Thus, for the religious leader, it is imperative that his generation pave the way for the next by focusing on children’s education – especially for girls. “We tell young girls not to be distracted. Education is the mother of all success.”

Chief Daagbo Hounon Houna II is also an ambassador of the SWEDD project who travels from hamlets to villages to spread the message of equal opportunities, education, and good health.  

Josephine Bouanga, a pioneer in organic produce committed to fighting malnutrition

Passionate, audacious, and creative, the agricultural engineer Josephine Bouanga launched her entrepreneurial venture in 2001 with an initial investment of 300,000 CFA francs. She succeeded in establishing Enoce Bio, a company specializing in the processing and promotion of local agricultural products. Her ambition: "to fight malnutrition through the virtues of plants.”

In addition to its flagship product, children's flour, Enoce Bio offers a range of organic and therapeutic agricultural products. "We use all the fruits of the Congo," she says. Products are sold in Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville, as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cabinda, and to the Congolese diaspora in France, Belgium, and soon Germany. The company employs 25 people: 17 women and 8 men. "Most of them are orphans whom I trained myself," Bouanga explains.

Enoce Bio has benefited from two World Bank grants through the Projet d'Appui au Développement des Entreprises et la Compétitivité (PADEC) and Projet d'Appui à l'Agriculture Commerciale (PDAC) enabling the business to develop its products and improve its management tools.

“Zlecaf (African Continental Free Trade Area) is coming!" proclaims Joséphine Bouanga. "We have to prove that the Republic of Congo is capable of offering quality products that can be appreciated in other countries of the sub-region.”

Rukayya, a soya bean trader and advocate for women entrepreneurship

Rukayya Adamu from the Maiyama community in Kebbi state, north-west Nigeria, used to sell firewood. “It was the only thing I could do. I had no skill or money to do other businesses," she says.

But today, she runs a business that sells soya beans, providing her with a more sustainable source of income for her family.

Through a women’s affinity group supported by the World Bank-financed Nigeria for Women Project, Rukayya learned of the environmental dangers of firewood while also gaining skills to identify an alternative – and more profitable – business.

"Through the Nigeria for Women program, I became aware of innovative businesses that support sustainable livelihoods," she says.

After receiving training in financial literacy, gender dynamics, life skills, and business management, Rukayya now practices informed financial management, contributing to her community's shift towards sustainable practices and environmental consciousness.

The women’s group is helping thousands of women like Rukayya to become agents of change by fostering sustainable livelihoods and a greener society. So far, over 400,000 women have benefited from the program in six states across Nigeria. 

INFOGRAPHIC - Improving the livelihoods of Nigerian Women

Aissatu Injai, building roads to end gender-based violence

“Girls and boys live in separate worlds… Boys are taught to be leaders; girls are taught domestic work,” says Aissatu Injai, President of the National Network to Fight Gender-Based Violence and Violence against Children in Guinea-Bissau (RENLUV).

From a young age, Aissatu witnessed the high prevalence of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and female genital mutilation (FGM) in her community and knew she wanted to change the narrative. “Women don’t always know that they are victims… We want women to know their rights, to know that violence is not acceptable, and what they can do if it happens.”

Founded in 2004, RENLUV is a network of 54 organizations that promote training, advocacy, and monitoring of GBV. Since 2020, RENLUV has worked with the World Bank on the Rural Transport Project to help mitigate the risk of increased GBV by training road workers, raising community awareness, and providing support to survivors.

 “What motivates me every day is to work for them and for a country where gender equality is a reality,” says Aissatu determined to be on the front line fighting for justice.