The Pagb-Zoodo Association for Family and Social Welfare (APZ-BFS) organized a training session for religious and customary leaders on the promotion of gender norms favorable to the education of adolescent girls on Monday, December 30, 2024 in Ouagadougou.
Inequalities between men and women, girls and boys persist and are accentuated by the security and humanitarian crisis facing Burkina Faso. In addition, gender stereotypes, discriminatory practices and certain social norms still hinder adolescent girls’ access to quality education. Convinced that these barriers deprive thousands of young girls of their fundamental rights to learning and autonomy, the Pagb-Zoodo Association for Family and Social Welfare (APZ-BFS) has fought against these barriers. stereotypes are his hobby horse. In her fight, she decided to make traditional and religious leaders key allies in the fight. She therefore decided to equip them through a training session on the promotion of gender norms favorable to the education of adolescent girls on Monday, December 30, 2024 in Ouagadougou.
According to the coordinator of the association Salamata Ouédraogo, customary leaders through their words, their advice and their actions are guarantors of the values of the communities. “You can use this power to transform mentalities, encourage equality, and build a future where our children will have the same chances and the same opportunities to succeed,” she is convinced. Convinced that the education of girls, much more than a right, is an investment, the commitment of traditional and religious leaders to this cause is, according to her, a decisive step towards a more inclusive, just and more prosperous Burkina Faso. “An educated girl becomes an autonomous woman, an enlightened mother, and a responsible citizen, capable of contributing to the development of her entire community,” she said.
This session aims to provide participants with the tools necessary to identify and deconstruct the stereotypes and gender norms that hinder the empowerment of girls, promote positive social norms and integrate these values in their speeches, their preaching and their interactions at the daily. “We have a responsibility to remove the obstacles that stand in front of girls and give them more means to succeed,” Ms. Ouédraogo told participants. Before ending, she reminded traditional and religious leaders that they are the best relays to carry this message to their villages, their families, and their communities. “Your influence can not only change perceptions, but also spark concrete actions that will benefit adolescent girls,” she said.
This APZ-BFS initiative was supported by the basic education district of Ouaga 11. The Head of the CEB Dramane Kara congratulated the association for organizing this meeting. “I commend the association on behalf of education authorities for its leadership in improving adolescent girls’ access to educational opportunities for their resilience and empowerment,” he said. He invited participants to support the APZ-BFS by being awareness-raisers on positive gender norms favorable to the education of adolescent girls in their communities.
This activity was also supported by the town hall of district 11. The President of the special delegation Marou Yaméogo congratulated the association for this initiative. “Young adolescent girls are victims of a certain number of stereotypes and it is good that the APZ-BF has decided to equip traditional and religious leaders so that they can act as intermediaries to resolve this problem,” he said. -he declared. The participants also welcomed this initiative for their benefit. For Rayong Naaba, education is the basis of any society. To this end, he considered this activity important. He also encouraged the association to continue this momentum for a society where the education of adolescent girls is a reality.
Nadège YAMEOGO