Strengthening WiLDAF-AO as a leading organization linking women’s rights, girls’ rights and development in West Africa (WiLDAF-AO Leader)

In its quest to put in place networks that are strong enough to contribute to the implementation of women’s human rights, WiLDAF has since its inception invested in mobilising women’s organisations in the sub-region and strengthening their capacity to put in place networks capable of working jointly, sharing information and taking advantage of networking to form pressure and advocacy groups capable of obtaining reforms that can improve the status of women. It therefore ensures the organisational strengthening and operational capacityof the eleven existing national networks. 

Through projects such as :

• Project : “Organising to better defend women’s rights »

Financial partner : Regional WiLDAF

Country :  Burkina, Togo, Benin, Sénégal, Mali, 

Objectives : To strengthen the capacity of women’s organisations in the sub-region to achieve 

Results :

• Formalisation of national networks in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria,
• Project: BEYOND BEIJING: Building the capacity of women’s rights national networks to contribute towards the implementation of the human rights of women.”

Financial Partner : European Union

Countries : Benin, Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo

Objectives : – Building the capacity of women’s organisations in the sub-region to undertake programmes aimed at raising the legal consciousness of women ;

– Building the capacity of national networks to work jointly, share information and take advantage of network operations with a view to constituting themselves into pressure and advocacy groups capable of obtaining reforms likely to enhance the status of women;

Results

• Awakening the legal consciousness of women in every respect (social, economic and cultural) for a better implementation of laws.
• The constitution of sufficient strong lobby and advocacy groups for adoption of laws which will improve their situation;
• The capacity of the national networks to identify the priorities of women of their countries, design adequate programmes, to raise funds and at last, to implement these programs;
• The existence of a group of 180 trainers liable to pass on other members the knowledge and skills acquired.
• Campaigns against violence perpetrated against women.
• A number of tools were elaborated under the supervision of the sub-regional bureau within the framework of this project in order to support the activities:
• A guide for the use of women’s rights organizations on assistance to women victims of violence.
• Training handbook for women’s rights organizations which different modules cover the problems of organizations strengthening, networking, legal literacy and legal assistance, conception and implementation, follow-up and evaluation of legal programs, advocacy strategies and lobbying for reforms.

Handbook for women’s training in politics.