This booklet presents the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) regional initiative. The SWEDD is the result of a joint response by the United Nations and the World Bank Group, is a response to a call made by the presidents of the six Sahel countries, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

The overall goal of the project is to accelerate the demographic transition, to spur the demographic dividend, and to reduce gender inequality in the Sahel region.

Since its official launch in November 2015, the initiative has grown and is proceeding rapidly. Full steam ahead.