OUAGADOUGOU — More than 182,000 individuals have been educated about violence against women and their role in politics, according to the Co-Development, Violence against Women and Girls (VFF) group. The president of VFF, Giselle Dabré, announced these figures at a press conference detailing the outcomes of initiatives aimed at supporting the rights of women and girls.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the campaign reached 182,488 direct participants and 631,889 indirect beneficiaries through various activities. These efforts were discussed during a press conference held on Tuesday, June 24, 2024, in Ouagadougou. Dabré highlighted that 79% of the affected individuals are women and young girls.

The heightened security crisis has exacerbated violence against women and children, with numerous internally displaced women reporting incidents of gender-based violence. The challenges have forced the group to relocate activities and collaborate with defense and security forces to ensure the effectiveness of their initiatives.

The Co-Development group also focuses on increasing women’s participation in politics and decision-making roles. Despite efforts, women’s representation in the National Assembly remains low, with only 10 to 20% of seats held by women from 2020 to 2024. The organization aims to improve these figures, as outlined by Dabré.

Rawidwendé Jérémie Compaoré, the monitoring-evaluation manager, stated that the groups have conducted joint workshops and mapped out key stakeholders involved in combating violence against women and promoting their political engagement. These activities were supported by 72 associations and organizations dedicated to women’s rights.

The initiatives have been financially backed by the NGO Oxfam, which provided each group with 4 million CFA francs since July 2022. Although the official project concluded on June 20, Oxfam plans to continue supporting these efforts through additional projects, Compaoré added.