Matam, June 12, 2024 – The Association pour le Maintien des Filles à l’École (AMFE), Grow Academy and Tostan launched the “Donnons-leur des ailes” (Let’s give them wings) consortium project. Implemented with the support of the Fondation Marcelle et Jean Coutu (FJMC), the project aims to empower young girls in the Matam region and Dakar suburbs, with the objective of facilitating their socio-professional integration.
Unequal access to education and employment remains a major challenge for young girls in several regions of Senegal. In Matam, for example, the drop-out rate among girls remains very high, exacerbated by harmful social norms such as child marriage and gender-based violence. Similarly, in the Dakar urban region, the unemployment rate among young women is almost twice that of young men.
Reducing inequalities and fostering inclusion
The “Let’s Give them wings: Together for the empowerment, education and leadership of women and young people” project will run for two years. In the Dakar region, it will train around 200 girls who have dropped out of school or are digitally excluded in essential digital marketing skills through an e-learning programme in the local language. At the same time, in Matam, the project will raise awareness of the importance of educating young girls and encouraging them to abandon harmful practices such as female genital cutting, child marriage and gender-based violence.
“Social norms may be invisible barriers, but their effects on young girls’ access to education are very real, particularly in the Matam region. It’s a question of justice, of equal opportunities, of giving young girls a real basis of choice for their lives. Investing in education helps to create happy, healthy communities that can take on leadership roles in our societies”, said Woppa Diallo, Executive Director of the Association pour le Maintien des Filles à l’Ecole (AMFE).
Innovative partnership approach
In addition to training and awareness-raising activities, mutual capacity-building among the consortium’s member organisations is a key component of the project. AMFE and Grow Academy took part in a sharing and learning seminar organised by the Tostan Training Center. The aim of this initiative was to draw inspiration from Tostan’s human rights-based approach and the key aspects of its Community Empowerment Programme, deployed in communities in West Africa.
“Our ambition is not only to share our experience and the lessons we have learnt over more than 30 years in the service of communities, but also to unite the energies of all those involved in development for the wellbeing of the community“, said Carina Ndiaye, Director of Partnerships at Tostan.
“The Marcelle and Jean Coutu Foundation is delighted to support this vital project, which will promote inclusion and improve the social status of young girls, while contributing to the positive transformation of the communities of Matam and Dakar,” adds Bineta Ba, Director of Partnerships and International Development at the Marcelle and Jean Coutu Foundation.
About AMFE
Founded on 10 January 2010, the Association pour le Maintien des Filles à l’Ecole (AMFE-Sénégal) is committed to promoting the enrolment and retention of girls in school. It fights against all obstacles to the progress of women and girls in the Matam region and in Senegal by eradicating all forms of gender-based violence (female genital cutting, sexual assault, child marriage, early pregnancy and domestic violence).
AMFE promotes sexual and reproductive health education and access to healthcare by facilitating girls’ and women’s access to justice, vocational training and capacity building. AMFE also promotes the education of communities to contribute to their wellbeing.
AMFE Senegal, for quality education in a safe and caring environment.
About Tostan
Based in Senegal, Tostan is a community development organisation that has been committed for over 30 years to empowering communities to achieve their vision of wellbeing based on respect for human rights. Tostan works in five countries in West Africa, delivering holistic programmes in a number of areas, including empowering women and girls, protecting children’s rights, promoting education, improving maternal and child health, protecting the environment, respecting human rights and abandoning harmful social practices such as child marriage and female genital cutting.
About The Marcelle et Jean Coutu Foundation
The Marcelle and Jean Coutu Foundation is a Canadian philanthropic organization working primarily in the fields of health, education and community well-being. It supports various projects and initiatives aimed at improving people’s quality of life, particularly in the areas of medical research, access to healthcare, education and the fight against poverty. The foundation is recognised for its commitment to social causes and its financial support for numerous charitable organisations across Canada and in developing countries.