From November 7 to 9, 2023, the Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) is taking part in the revitalization of Solidarity for African Womens Right’s (SOAWR) Francophone Cluster in Dakar, Senegal.
SOAWR works to domesticate and implement the Maputo Protocol in Africa. The Maputo Protocol is an international treaty adopted by the African Union in 2003. It aims to guarantee the rights of women and girls in Africa.
The RFLD is a member of this cluster, which brings together organizations from French-speaking African countries.
The revitalization of the cluster was an opportunity for members to meet, share experiences and discuss priorities for the coming years.
Ms ENIAYEHOU Florence, RFLD’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, represented the RFLD at these meetings.
Discussions focused on the following themes:
- Promoting the rights of women and girls in Francophone Africa
- Participants discussed the challenges facing women and girls in Francophone Africa, including violence, discrimination and the weak application/domestication of the Maputo Protocol. They also shared examples of good practice in promoting women’s and girls’ rights.
- Capacity-building for women’s leadership organizations
- Participants discussed the importance of building the capacity of women’s leadership organizations. They stressed the need to have the necessary skills and resources to take effective action to promote the rights of women and girls.
- Cooperation between women’s leadership organizations
- Participants discussed the importance of cooperation between women’s leadership organizations. They emphasized that collaboration enables mutual support and more effective action.
The strategies for the Francophone cluster include an action plan for the coming years, which aims to continue and intensify their efforts to promote the rights of women and girls in Francophone Africa. RFLD is proud to contribute to the cluster’s efforts to promote the rights of women and girls in Francophone Africa. We are convinced that the active participation of women in society is essential for sustainable development. The revitalization of the cluster is an important step towards achieving this goal. It will enable leading women’s organizations to strengthen their collaboration and take more effective action to promote the rights of women and girls in French-speaking Africa.
