From June 29 to July 1, 2021 were held first in Abidjan and then in Yamoussoukro, the capacity building seminar and the General Assembly of the Working Group for the Promotion and Participation of Women and Girls in Youth, Sports and Leisure Activities (WGWG), in partnership with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) As a reminder, this group was created in 2000 by decision of the Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports of the Francophonie (CONFEJES). The members of this consultative group of reflection and action constitute antennas in the Ministries in charge of youth, sports and leisure, in the member States and governments. They help CONFEJES to develop federative actions on gender equality. The WGCD is actively involved in achieving the goal of gender equity, which is the cross-cutting theme of CONFEJES’ programming.
The work of the WGWC began with the capacity building seminar organized in partnership with ICESCO. A total of 35 participants from 15 francophone countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Chad, Tunisia, Togo) and 10 virtual participants from 6 francophone countries (Cameroon, Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles, Haiti, Mauritius, Madagascar, Togo) participated in this seminar that lasted two days before the holding of the WGCD General Assembly.
The inaugural lesson on the theme: “Women as actors of change for Peace and Human Development” was delivered by Pr. Ndioro NDIAYE, former Deputy Director of IOM and former Minister of Social Development of Senegal. She invited all the women to be, at the end of this training, real vectors and actors of peace in their respective communities.
The communication on the theme: “Education in the values of the culture of peace” was delivered by Dr. Diénéba DOUMBIA, Director of the Department of Peace Research at the FHB Foundation. In an interactive approach with the participants, she addressed the notions of peace, commitment, culture of peace and leadership.
The Secretary General of CONFEJES by interim, Mr. Modibo TRAORÉ, presented the different programs of the institution, the GTCF and its actions and the contribution of the institution to reinforce the gender and peace dimension in its policies and programs.
The General Assembly of the GTCF held from June 30 to July 1, 2021 in Yamoussoukro, chaired by the outgoing International Coordinator Mrs. Aminata FALL DIOUF, was an opportunity to renew the entire board.
The votes for the different positions took place both in person and virtually. The new international coordinator of the CWG was elected, as well as the vice-coordinator and the regional coordinators.
The new international coordinator of the CWG, Mrs. Diénébou SANOGO, of Malian nationality, was elected for a 4-year term by the assembly.
During the closing ceremony, the participants each received a certificate of participation in the training and the encouragement of Mr. François Alla Yao, Deputy Director of Cabinet of the Minister of Sports, who presided over the closing ceremony.
The main recommendations resulting from this work are
- The inclusion of the activities of national delegates in the action plans of the Ministries of Youth, Sports and Leisure,
- the improvement of the communication between CONFEJES and the delegates of the WGCD in the respect of the provisions of the reference framework of the WGCD,
- and the conduct of national advocacy in the respective countries for the mobilization of resources and the search for partners to expand the activities of the WGCD.