Boulgou: The commune of Zabr hosted the provincial celebration of the 169th International Women's Day in Boulgou province on Sunday. Presided over by the governor of the Nakamb region, Yiy Abraham Somdo, the ceremony highlighted several activities carried out by women over the past two weeks, including training programs, solidarity initiatives, and economic empowerment projects.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the coordination of women in the province of Boulgou marked International Women's Day with a series of activities organized in several localities, notably in Tenkodogo and Zabr. The official ceremony was held in Zabr in the presence of several dignitaries, including the guest of honor Nestorine Sangar. It was held under the patronage of Commander Oumarou Yabr, President of the National State Security Council, who was unable to attend.
The ceremony also benefited from the patronage of the Minister of Energy and Mines, Yacouba Gouba, who was represented for the occasion by his research officer. Several partners supported the organization of the activities, including Soleil Ressources from the Youga mine, the Association of Young Volunteers for the Fight Against AIDS (AJVLS), and the representative of the Presidency of Faso for the Nakamb region.
According to the organizers, these activities aimed to strengthen women's contribution to peace and local development, in line with this year's theme: "Building lasting peace in Burkina Faso: what contribution can women and girls make to promoting living together?" Activities carried out include training 60 women and girls in digital marketing in Tenkodogo, supporting internally displaced women in market gardening activities in Daz¨, and screening 200 women in Zabr and Tenkodogo for precancerous lesions of the cervix.
The women also conducted clean-up days in public services, mobilized over five tons of cement to support the Faso Mªbo initiative, and organized radio programs on the theme of March 8th. In addition, food was distributed to 100 vulnerable and internally displaced women in Zabr with the support of the Youga gold mine.
In his speech, the governor of the Nakamb region, Yiy Abraham Somdo, praised the commitment of the women of Boulgou in promoting social cohesion and development. According to him, the Zabr ceremony marks the end of a series of activities carried out over nearly two weeks alongside the women of the province.
"We spent almost two weeks reflecting on and supporting women in their initiatives. We also visited gardens maintained by women, which testifies to their contribution to community resilience," the governor stated. For him, these actions are in line with the spirit of the national theme which highlights the role of women in consolidating peace and social cohesion.
The governor also called on men and women to join forces for the development of the country. "We must work together, men and women, to build our country," he stressed. For her part, the general secretary of the Zabr women's communal coordination, Maria Zinsonni, expressed the women's satisfaction with the support from the authorities and partners. She indicated that several projects have been implemented to support women's economic activities, including income-generating initiatives.
Located in the Boulgou province, in the Nakamb region, the commune of Zabr, populated mainly by the Bissa and close to the Ghanaian border, served as the setting for this provincial celebration. The ceremony highlighted the actions of women in support of social cohesion, solidarity, and economic empowerment, in a context marked by security challenges. The authorities encouraged the continuation of these initiatives in order to strengthen the contribution of women to peacebuilding and development in Burkina Faso.