The empowerment of girls and young women, promoted by a large number of development programmes and contraceptive awareness-raising campaigns, face many barriers that are rooted in local, societal and religious norms. “They are generally not adapted to popular circles and often perceived as a Western conspiracy against African fertility, the only source of wealth for the poor. These deeply rooted resistances should not be underestimated”, explains Assiatou Diarra, a doctor and anthropologist from Niger in an article published by Le Monde diplomatique.

Read the article (French)