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The world’s leaders, including five African presidents, met at the G7 Summit in Biarritz in France from 24-26 August 2019, and placed the fight against inequality at the heart of their discussions. Beyond the major global challenges (survival of the Amazon; global trade; stability in Iran, Libya and Hong Kong) the G7 agenda also included a strong focus on Africa. G7 leaders announced an USD 251 million package to support women entrepreneurs in Africa. France and Germany intend to launch the Partnership for Security and Stability in the Sahel. Canada and Japan will join the Sahel Alliance as observers. What else has been decided at the Biarritz summit? Read on

12 Aug 2019

Senegal: Advancing data planning and gender-sensitive data

Country:

Senegal

Topics:

Development co-operation

Gender

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The Senegal National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD) and OECD-based Paris21 agency held a joint workshop on 12 August in Dakar to enhance data planning and discuss a new gender statistics project. Some 40 participants took part in a training session on the Advanced Data Planning Tool (ADAPT), a free cloud-based planning tool. Paris21 developed the tool to help national statistics offices and other data producers adapt their data production to from policymakers’ priority data needs. Read on

31 Jul 2019

How can the demographic transition in the Sahel be achieved?

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Opinion:

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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. “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 on

20 Jul 2019

Creating opportunities for rural youth

Topics:

Agriculture & Fisheries

Children & Youth

Climate & Climate change

Culture & Society

Development co-operation

Food security & Nutrition

Gender

Urban-rural development

Body:

Where do rural youth live and how do they engage with the economy? How can young rural women be empowered? How can rural youth prosper in changing agrifood systems? What makes climate change a youth issue? The IFAD Rural Development Report 2019 analyses key challenges of the rural transformation process and opportunities available to rural youth while encouraging thinking differently about investing in rural youth. Read on

06 Jul 2019

Sahel: Fighting inequality to respond to development and security challenges

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Topics:

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Oxfam published a new report on rising inequality in the Sahel. Beyond the many security, humanitarian and environmental challenges, the problems in the Sahel have their roots in the inequality and the strong sense of injustice among the region’s people, particularly young people. The report offers a series of recommendations in order to reduce inequality and deliver on the SDGs. They notably call upon Sahelian countries to uphold their commitments and allocate at least 20% of their national budgets to education and 15% to health. Moreover, the G5 Sahel should place more emphasis on development and governance. Read on

31 Mar 2019

Women suffering from anaemia – a major challenge

Topics:

Children & Youth

Food security & Nutrition

Gender

Health

SWAC:

SWAC

Body:

Anaemia is reaching extremely high levels in the Sahel and West Africa. Fourteen countries in the region have a prevalence of over 40% (severe) among women of reproductive age. Twelve West African countries feature among the twenty countries with the highest prevalence in the world. Globally, the prevalence of anaemia reduced between 1995 and 2011, from 33% to 29% among non-pregnant women and from 43% to 38% among pregnant women. Read on

18 Jan 2019

Polygamy remains common and mostly legal in West Africa

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SWAC:

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Polygamy has declined in the last decade but remains common in West Africa. For example, 33% of women in Nigeria reported that their husbands have more than one wife (Demographic and Health Survey, 2013). Six West African countries have civil codes that formally prohibit polygamy (Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria) but legal restrictions are rarely enforced. Read on

06 Jan 2019

A quiet revolution: more women seek divorces in conservative West Africa

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The number of women seeking divorces is increasing overall in West Africa. “Frustrated by their husbands’ inability to earn a living, and in a society where basic views on relationships have changed, women are asserting more control over their marriages,” explains Dionne Searcey, West Africa bureau chief for The New York Times. Her article offers a series of testimonies from women’s divorce cases. While divorce does not always have a positive outcome, it is a sign that women know their rights and are demanding respect and happiness in their marriages. Read on

04 Jan 2019

Guinea: Controversy about the new polygamy law

Country:

Guinea

Topics:

Culture & Society

Gender

Body:

Guinean deputies passed a new civil code on 29 December 2018 to modernise its laws, but the text sparked controversy as it formally legalises polygamy. Guinea’s president is now trying to stop the new code. President Alpha Condé said, “How can Guinea adopt monogamy in 1960 and intend to legalise polygamy in 2018?” Read on

20 Dec 2018

The essential role played by farmers’ organisation in West Africa

Topics:

Agriculture & Fisheries

Children & Youth

Food security & Nutrition

Gender

Resilience

Opinion:

Opinion

Body:

The essential role played by farmers’ organisations in West Africa has been recognised, notably within the new ECOWAS Regional Agricultural Policy. However, “The omnipresence of agribusiness reminds us that the fight to be fought is not yet won,” recalls SOS Sahel in an opinion piece, which identifies several areas to address. First and foremost, it will be important to strengthen the involvement of women and young people. Read on

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Gender

Africa at the G7 Summit in Biarritz

Senegal: Advancing data planning and gender-sensitive data

How can the demographic transition in the Sahel be achieved?

Creating opportunities for rural youth

Sahel: Fighting inequality to respond to development and security challenges

Women suffering from anaemia – a major challenge

Polygamy remains common and mostly legal in West Africa

A quiet revolution: more women seek divorces in conservative West Africa

Guinea: Controversy about the new polygamy law

The essential role played by farmers’ organisation in West Africa

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