Celebration of Women's day in Diakhao

The International Women's Day, celebrated in Senegal and around the world, is an opportunity for women, women's associations, as well as gender activists and supporters to mobilize through public events and demonstrations to celebrate the victories and achievements of their cause and above all to voice out their demands and advocacy regarding the improvement of the situation of women and equality between men and women.

The goal of World Vision Senegal, is to improve the welfare of 8 million children by 2021, particularly the most vulnerable. As such it is sensitive to the difficulties women face every day, granted that child wellbeing cannot be achieved without the engagement of women who are also mothers, home-keepers and engines of development.

The day of March 8 will be reserved for advocacy to combat early marriages, teen pregnancies, and rural out-migration that hinder the emancipation of young girls.

In celebrating this women’s day, World Vision will organize advocacy events in Diakhao for cross sharing and allowing women, young girls, AEMO officials, (Educational Actions in Open environments) and the presiding regional court judge of Fatick, to plead the causes. A procession will also be organized to deliver a memorandum to the Deputy Prefect.

The focus will be on combating early marriages and pregnancies and on halting the worrisome incidences of rural out-migration of young girls to seek menial work in cities instead of pursuing their studies. This day’s events are symbolic in addressing issues that hinder the emergence of women and deprive them of opportunities to become potential future leaders.

An exceptional sponsor for this day

The Honorable Aminata Diallo, member of Parliament, President of the Network of Parliamentarians against abuse and violence against children (PEVA) has honored us by accepting to chair this event in the presence of other prominent women, to champion the fight at the national level alongside women of the municipalities of Diakhao, Mbella, Thiare Ndiop and Patar.

Working towards qualitative change

The objective of these activities of 8 March is to raise awareness of girls, parents, religious leaders and the whole community of the harmful effects of early marriages, teenage pregnancies and the rural out-migration among young girls. These activities also aim to bring the authorities of the Fatick region to join in the struggle of women and to take concrete actions to eliminate these scourges.

The purpose of World Vision in organizing this day is to create a framework that is conducive for communicating directly towards girls, their peers, their parents and policymakers on issues related to the protection and rights of women.

World Vision is committed to entice concrete action by policy makers in the fight to eliminate early marriages and pregnancies and the rural outmigration of young girls. To this effect, it is urgent for the entire community (girls, parents, religious leaders, local authorities ...) to commit themselves in joining in the struggle to combat these ills.

World Vision also seeks to encourage parents to keep their daughters in school and to support them in their studies in order to promote the success of women in the Senegalese society.

Photos : Delphine Rouiller