300 young girls on the road to employment in Côte d'Ivoire
Closing ceremony for cohort 2
The completion rate for girls in lower secondary school rose from 34.6% in 2013-2014 to 54.6% in 2017-2018, according to the Ivorian government. But what happens to these girls who leave school so early ? And those who don’t go to school at all ? How can we help them become autonomous ? All these questions led Empow’Her to set up the two-year Girl Power project in 2020 to support vulnerable girls aged between 16 and 24.
The low school completion rate is undoubtedly a consequence of the low representation of women in the Côte d’Ivoire labor market. In fact, in 2022, 51% of women were in the workforce, compared with 81% of men, according to the 2022 report from the French Planning, Studies and Documentation Office. In this regard, the Girl Power project facilitate the economic and social empowerment of young girls to provide them with life skills such as literacy (for those who haven’t been to school at all), entrepreneurship and civic engagement, with competent mentors and trainers. This project is part of the resocialization program for the most vulnerable teenage girls.
- 300 beneficiaries
- 16 speakers
- 86 mentors
- 70 companies mobilized
In collaboration with UNICEF and OSCN, the Girl Power project has supported the socio-economic reintegration of 300 vulnerable girls aged between 16 and 24 from the cities of Abidjan, San-Pedro and Boundiali.
The three-cohort project involved training participants for three months in civics and life skills, then giving them access to Empow’Her’s incubator centers in Abidjan and San-Pedro, where trainers delivered 18 modules to enable them to take charge of their own development.
Serge Kouadio, Girl Power project manager with “his girls”.
Three stage training
The course consisted of three main phases :
- Inspiration and ideation
The girls will identify their entrepreneurial profiles.
- Planning
This stage involved supporting the young girls in building their business model.
- Making it happen
This final phase consolidates the girls’ achievements. At the end of the incubation period, they took part in an internship according to their choice (sewing, hairdressing, beauticians, pastry-making, decoration, painting, catering, pig farming, fashion trade, etc.).
The second chance school !
Banassa in her living room, wearing her own make-up
“I bought a container for 230,000F and nail technician accessories to start my business. My aunt gave me 130,000F CFA for other expenses”, she calculated before adding that to date, she has paid off all her loans and is doing well. “I’ve saved money, I’ve taken care of my sick mother and just recently, I’ve helped with my brothers’ schooling since our father is no longer with us,” confides the young girl proudly.
According to the project’s final report, 95% of beneficiaries are satisfied with the support provided. 70% have started an entrepreneurial activity. 88% said they had gained self-confidence skills.
Banassa’s mother, proud of her daughter enjoying a scrub made by her daughter
