Sahel First Ladies' Women Empowerment Initiatives

In mid‑July 2026 Senegal’s First Lady, Marie Khone Faye, inaugurated a national programme to distribute 750 grain mills to women entrepreneurs in the Fatick region. The launch, held with the Minister of Family, Social Action and Solidarity, delivered an initial batch of 53 mills to local women‑led economic interest groups and included plans for financial education and access to financing, aiming to boost income‑generating activities and strengthen community organisations.

A week later, Mauritania’s First Lady, Mariem Mohamed Fadel Dah, opened the third phase of the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend project (SWEDD+) in Aleg. The event highlighted education, health and economic participation as pillars for societal stability, and featured representatives from the World Bank and UNFPA, underscoring continued international support for the multi‑year effort to improve gender equity across the Sahel.

Both events illustrate a coordinated push by Sahelian first ladies, supported by national ministries and international partners, to advance women’s economic empowerment and broader development goals in the region.