What is the Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) project?
Launched in November 2015 with financial support from the World Bank, technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), the SWEDD project aims to accelerate the demographic transition, trigger the demographic dividend, and reduce gender inequalities in the Sahel region.
This involves (i) creating demand for reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and nutritional health (RMNCH) products and services by promoting social and behavioural change, including the abandonment of socio-cultural practices harmful to the fulfillment of adolescent girls' potential, and the empowerment of women and girls; and (ii) strengthening regional capacities.
The objective is to improve the supply of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and nutritional health commodities and skilled personnel, and to strengthen the project's high-level advocacy and capacity for policy development and project implementation.
On 28 June 2020, the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank granted additional financing of 376 million dollars to support the implementation of Phase 2 of the SWEDD project. This funding brings the World Bank's overall support to 680 million dollars to strengthen human capital and drive development in African countries through women's empowerment.
The SWEDD project covers nine countries in West and Central Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.
The Gambia, Togo, Congo, and Senegal joined in 2023.
A multimedia and community campaign to support SWEDD countries in their response to COVID-19
The media campaign raises awareness of the importance of access to water and sanitation, menstrual hygiene, and the positive role of men in the fight against GBV (early marriage and pregnancy, female genital mutilation). It focuses on access to distance learning for girls and teenagers, and the importance of getting them back into school and respecting their rights and dignity.
The song LE CRI DU SILENCE, performed by 11 African artists: Zeynab Habib (Benin), Alif Naaba (Burkina Faso), Daphné (Cameroon), Serge Beynaud (Côte D'ivoire), Manamba Kanté (Guinea Conakry), Mouna Mint Dendeni (Mauritania), Binta Torodo (Niger), Fatoumata Diawara (Mali), Sidiki Diabaté (Mali), Coumba Gawlo (Senegal), and Mounira Mitchala (Chad) raises awareness of the urgent need to curb acts of violence against women and girls in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
![11 artistes s’engagent contre les violences faites aux femmes et filles #StrongerTogether #SWEDD](https://cta-unfpa-offices.pantheonsite.io/sites/default/files/media-youtube/5MvuM38oC7I.jpg)
The campaign targets Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal - and is being led in collaboration with the Partners: SWEDD National Coordinators, Ministries of Health, Promundo, Population Council, CHMP, and Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.
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"My mother supports me in my studies. I'm happy not to be forced into a marriage that I don't want. I don't want to get married now, not before I'm 20. I want to continue my studies and become a midwife. It's important to study to succeed in life. Success means following your dreams.”
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"I see Islam as a religion of peace and human rights, and that's why I'm trying to remove the ambiguity between customs and Islam. It is my belief and conviction that many things that are done in the name of Islam are against Islam, and that is why I work with my writings - with my fatwas - to remove the ambiguity between customs and misunderstandings of Islam in our lives. As a religious leader, we have a duty to our people, to our followers. We have to show the right conception of what Islam stands against, such as FGM and slavery. We believe that Islam is a religion of tolerance. When we see innocent people being kidnapped in the name of Islam, it means that Islam itself is being kidnapped. Islam is misunderstood by Muslims, so the duty of imams is to teach their followers good practices".