Casamance women drive peace and recovery
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In Casamance, Senegal, Dr. Maxime Houinato, Regional Director of UN Women for West and Central Africa, and Arlette Mvondo, Resident Representative in Senegal, toured the region and affirmed that women must lead solutions to social and economic challenges.
The officials observed collaboration between the Senegalese government, civil society, and the private sector as key to building lasting peace. They noted that successful programs in Casamance combine traditional practices with modern approaches, identifying and addressing areas where tradition requires improvement.
Mvondo emphasized that women’s economic empowerment is essential to reducing violence, stating it is measurable through increased income, food security, and women taking control of their lives. The sub-prefect of Nyassia, Moussa Aly Ba, praised rural women for their contributions to food security, production, transformation, and commerce, aligning their work with Senegal’s Vision 2050 and the Diomaye Plan for Casamance.
The UN Women delegation also stressed the importance of supporting victims of gender-based violence and ensuring women fully participate in peace-building efforts. Houinato explained that sharing successful strategies from Casamance will allow other regions and countries to learn from their experiences, and highlighted that women are now producers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and peace builders, not simply recipients of aid.
