An exclusion that is not accidental. It is systemic.
From 19 to 23 May 2026, the Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) is deploying a major regional initiative on women’s political participation in Francophone West Africa — within the framework of the Afrofeminist Initiative for Human Rights Development in Francophone West Africa (AIHRDFWA), implemented by RFLD and carried by the BMZ SEA-T programme with support from GIZ.
Despite notable progress over the past two decades, women’s political participation in Francophone West Africa remains structurally below the parity targets set by regional and international instruments — the Maputo Protocol, the CEDAW Convention, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), and the Sustainable Development Goals. Women, who make up more than half the population of the sub-region, remain marginalised in political decision-making spheres.
Read the full announcement → https://rflgd.org/2026/04/30/campagne-nationale-politique/
Society. Equality. Africa — Transformation.
The SEA-T programme (Society. Equality. Africa – Transformation) works with local and regional civil society actors. It promotes social transformation and citizen participation in order to reduce gender inequality and rebalance power relations. SEA-T recognises the expertise, autonomy, and initiative of its partners. It provides financial and technical support, fosters regional exchange, and reinforces advocacy efforts.
INSTITUTIONAL VOICE
“Women’s political participation in Francophone West Africa is not a cosmetic requirement. It is a sine qua non condition for stability, sustainable development, and institutional accountability. When women decide, public policies become more inclusive, social budgets are prioritised, and citizens’ trust in institutions is rebuilt.” — Ms Dossi Sêkonnou Gloria AGUEH, RFLD Africa Director
Dear friends,
In every monthly conversation, partners ask us the same question: « Where do we find your resources, your data, your programmatic anchors? » So this month we open the doors of RFLD’s institutional architecture — from our 2023–2028 Strategic Plan, to our DƆNÙESÈ Data Center tools, to the six fields of intervention through which we work. Everything below is publicly accessible.
02 Foundational documents
• Strategic Plan 2023–2028 : Our institutional roadmap — vision, theory of change, six fields of work, five-year priorities.
https://rflgd.org/rfld-strategic-plan-2023-2028/
• RFLD Podcasts : Long-form conversations on African feminist leadership, civic space, and the politics of representation.
https://rflgd.org/podcasts/
• The WAFF Fund : Our grassroots regranting infrastructure — direct, flexible capital to women-led organisations across West and Central Africa.
https://rflgd.org/waff-fund
03 Our six fields of intervention: Everything RFLD does sits within one of these six integrated programmatic fields.
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) : Bodily autonomy, access to services, policy advocacy across our country networks.
https://rflgd.org/plaidoyer-politique/
• Civic Space
Protecting women human rights defenders and resisting the shrinking of civic space in Africa.
https://rflgd.org/espace-civique-droits-de-lhomme/
• Economic Justice and Climate
Unpaid care, predatory fintech, climate displacement — the economic violence that compounds gender inequality.
https://rflgd.org/justice-economique-et-sociale/
• Participatory Governance
Women’s political leadership, parliamentary engagement, local democracy.
https://rflgd.org/gouvernance-participative/
• Human Rights Protection
Our ACHPR Observer Status N°553 voice at the African Commission, and the protection mechanisms it unlocks.
https://rflgd.org/protection-des-droits-humains/
• Peace and Security
Women in conflict prevention, resolution, and post-conflict reconstruction in the Sahel and the Great Lakes.
https://rflgd.org/paix-et-securite/
• Ending FGM and Child Marriage
Frontline community work to end the two practices that, more than any others, remove African girls from the education pipeline.
https://rflgd.org/pratiques-nefastes/
04 The DƆNÙESÈ Data Center — our tools
Twelve open-access knowledge platforms anchoring RFLD’s research, monitoring, and policy work.
https://rflgd.org/rfld-countries-data-center/
Need a custom resource pack for a partner or a funder?
Write to us at programs@rflgd.org — the team will prepare a tailored brief within 48 hours.
In solidarity,
The RFLD team
