Strengthening the rights of women and girls in Senegal

The When She Leads, Everyone Succeeds project (Quand elle dirige, tout le monde réussit), led by Tostan International, promotes women and girls as agents of change in Senegal. The project aims to enhance their well-being and the well-being of their communities. It focuses on ending harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation or cutting.

With Canada’s support, the project has been able to reach thousands of people, including women and girls, through human rights awareness-raising and advocacy activities. This has provided participants with a better understanding of their rights so that they can participate fully in community discussions regarding the issues that matter most to them.

The project has educated Senegalese men and boys to be more open to listening to women and girls, and to consider their needs and viewpoints when making community decisions. In addition, many municipal councillors, including women, were trained on child- and women-sensitive participatory budgeting, which is helping to promote decisions that support women’s and girls’ rights within their communities.