Côte d’Ivoire to host 7th International Forum for Female Leadership in 2026

The 7th edition of the International Forum for Female Leadership (FILF) is scheduled to take place in Abidjan on December 10 and 11, 2026. Organized by the SEPHIS Foundation, the forum will operate under the theme ‘Builders of Economies.’

The event aims to address critical challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in Côte d’Ivoire, including access to financing, markets, equipment, and business structuring. While women manage more than one-third of Ivorian SMEs—primarily in trade, services, and agro-industry—their presence in formal business ownership remains limited. According to World Bank data, women accounted for 22.5% of business owners in the country in 2023.

The forum intends to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, financial institutions, and public actors to strengthen the contribution of female-led businesses to value creation and job growth through innovation, local transformation, and artificial intelligence.