15 04 2025
Blog
Voix EssentiELLES is an ambitious initiative coordinated by Speak Up Africa, with the invaluable support of the CHANEL Foundation. Its aim is to amplify the voice and active participation of women and girls in decision-making on health and human rights.
The first phase, which ended in 2024, enabled 38 community organizations in Senegal, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire to successfully carry out advocacy actions and activities on key issues such as gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health, HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
Phase 2 launched in Senegal, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire
After a successful phase 1, the Voix EssentiELLES initiative entered its second phase with strategic workshops held in Senegal, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire in February 2025. These meetings enabled the beneficiary organizations to exchange views on the results achieved previously, to take note of the recommendations resulting from the evaluation of the first phase, and to explore together the strategic directions needed to continue and amplify their impact.
Among the priority issues identified at these meetings were the importance of carrying out concerted actions in national networks, strengthening synergies between organizations, and increasing collective mobilization to effectively influence public policies in favor of health and gender equity. New collective objectives were also defined, including the need to intensify advocacy actions to positively influence public policies in favor of women and girls.
In Côte d'Ivoire, this dynamic was enriched by complementary strategic visits. A meeting with Dr Danielle Adjafi, President of the CCM, provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges of coordinating CSOs and strengthening collaboration. In addition, an exchange with the head of the Programme National de Lutte contre les Violences Basées sur le Genre (PNLVBG) explored opportunities for collaboration with Voix EssentiELLES organizations around key events.
Voix EssentiELLES takes root in Togo and Benin
The project entered a new phase with the expansion into Togo and Benin, with a total of 20 new beneficiary organizations (10 in each country). In Lomé, on March 6 and 7, then in Cotonou, on March 10 and 11, the newly integrated organizations were able to discover the strategies and orientations of the second phase. These meetings also provided an opportunity to identify strategic partnerships with local and international institutional players, consolidating a strong momentum in favor of women's inclusion in these two new countries.
With this expansion, Voix EssentiELLES confirms its determination to foster the emergence of a new generation of women leaders capable of influencing decision-making and health policies and human rights in French-speaking Africa.
Thanks to the collective commitment of the 60 beneficiary organizations and our partners, this second phase promises to considerably amplify the already tangible impact of the project until 2027. Let's continue together to transform the future by empowering women and girls to participate fully in the decisions that affect them.