The SWEDD (Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend) project is based on the aspiration of an innovative partnership.  The project has been meticulously designed as a regional integration initiative, focusing on the economic empowerment of women, the fight against the vulnerability of adolescent girls and young women, and the eradication of gender inequalities in the region, all with the ultimate aim of unlocking the demographic dividend. The World Bank has committed a substantial investment of $680 million in SWEDD in nine countries, supported by the technical assistance of UNFPA at the continental, regional and national levels.