The region of Western Africa comprises countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Women’s empowerment in Western Africa has gained momentum in recent years as governments, NGOs, and international organizations recognize that gender equality and access the higher education are essential to social and economic development.
However, the focus should be on the provision of employment for the women for their practical contributions to the improvement of society.
Women’s Empowerment in Benin
The government of Benin has announced support measures to get more girls into school and to keep them there.
For example, the World Bank reported that for the 2022–23 school year, upper-secondary schooling for girls in the 20 communes with the lowest female education attainment was made free, with plans to extend free enrolment country-wide.
A 2024 memorandum of understanding between the government’s Ministry of Technical, Secondary Education & Vocational Training (MESTFP) and the NGO TechnoServe integrated an entrepreneurship module (“BeniBiz”) into the technical & vocational training curriculum, with particular focus on women and young people.
In December 2021, Benin passed a law significantly expanding the definition and criminalization of gender-based violence (GBV), which is essential because GBV and early marriage/pregnancy are significant causes of girls dropping out of school.
The government adopted in 2007 a “National Policy for the Promotion of Women,” which lists improving women’s access to education among its key orientations.
Despite progress, many girls, especially in rural areas, still face barriers to education due to poverty, early marriage, and cultural attitudes that favor boys’ schooling.
High dropout rates among girls are standard due to domestic responsibilities.
How Burkina Faso empowers her women
Project to Support Institutional and Technical Reforms for Equity (PARITÉ) program is implemented jointly by the Ministry of National Education, Literacy, and Promotion of National Languages (MENAPLN) and partner organizations from 2019–2024 in Burkina Faso.
Similarly, the ASST (Strengthening girls’ rights to education) project focuses on improving girls’ education, especially in Burkina Faso’s insecure regions (North, Centre-North, Sahel, East).
Government-NGO partnership initiatives in primary schooling for vulnerable girls are a successful program.
For example, in the Centre-Ouest region, a project (2021-26) supported by the L’Occitane Foundation to facilitate enrolment, re-integration, and completion for 1,000+ girls in primary years 3-5.
The government of Burkina Faso supported women’s capacities by training in management skills, promoting literacy, establishing women’s centres, and more.
Many girls drop out due to early marriage, early pregnancy, gender norms, and household chores.
Security and insecurity issues in parts of Burkina Faso may cause schools to close or become inaccessible, primarily affecting girls.
Cape Verde’s story
The country identifies quality education, training, and lifelong learning for women and girls as one of the top priorities for promoting progress for gender equality.
The government’s Education Strategic Plan (2017-2021) treats gender equality as a cross-cutting theme in all programs.
Access to education for girls and women has improved significantly. Education has become a fundamental pillar in the empowerment of women in Cabo Verde, significantly improving female literacy.
Over the years, Cape Verde has made significant advances in women’s education and gender equality in education.
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The government has enacted legal reforms, embedded gender equality into education strategy and budgeting, implemented vocational training and up-skilling programs targeting women, and engages in international partnerships to strengthen skills and human capital.
However, the dropout rates of girls in schools should be addressed, and vocational training emphasised to empower more women.
How Côte D’Ivoire Does it
The 2015 education law in Côte d’Ivoire has meaningfully increased enrolment and reduced the gender gap in education.
Gross primary enrolment reached 99 % in 2021, and the gender gap in primary education narrowed from 12 to 5 percentage points between 2014-21.
A “Gender in Education Policy & Action Plan” program identified barriers to girls’ education (e.g., teenage pregnancy, cost, curriculum relevance).
It proposed responses such as life-skills programs, “second-chance” schools for dropouts, vocational training, and extraordinary efforts in STEM for girls.
On the other hand, the program “Empowering girls and women in Côte d’Ivoire” (through the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) project) supports young women and adolescent girls’ access to quality education, reproductive and maternal health services.
The government has invested in school infrastructure, sanitation, and safe environments for girls.
For example, a new girls’ lyceum (school) in Sinématiali includes dedicated sanitary/wastewater treatment infrastructure to improve the educational environment for young women.
Traditional gender roles often restrict women’s opportunities in education, employment, and decision-making.
Patriarchal norms still place men as heads of households, limiting women’s autonomy and access to resources.
Reforms in Togo
Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD) is a regional initiative (covering Sahel countries) in which Togo participates.
It was launched in Togo in November 2023, under the authority of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Literacy.
Under the SWEDD+ framework, in September 2025, the government launched a campaign to distribute over 100,000 school kits to girls in public schools in 64 cantons across Togo.
Under the World Bank’s “Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project” in Togo, the government adopted key reforms: abolishing school fees in public preschools and primary schools, and a decree reducing tuition fees for girls.
In August 2025, the Ministry of Women’s Promotion launched a project (in partnership with the West African Health Organization) to raise awareness of menstrual hygiene among girls and boys, train young female seamstresses to produce reusable sanitary kits, and distribute them to schools in the Lomé, Anié, and Kara regions.
Despite progress, disparities remain. For example, the completion rate for girls in lower secondary is significantly lower than for boys. Additionally, the government should address the low enrolment of girls and women in higher education.
Sierra Leone’s 30% quota
The Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment Act 2022 (GEWE Act) mandates, e.g., a minimum 30% quota for women in the private sector and top leadership roles.
It also provides 14 weeks of maternity leave, equal pay, and improved access to financial services for women.
The Act also requires gender units in all ministries and agencies, gender-responsive budgeting, and the strengthening of access to finance for women.
The national agricultural program Feed Salone includes a component “Empowering Women and Youth” which supports women farmers with high-value cash crops, climate-smart agriculture, skills via TVET, matching grants for women, and targeted access to finance.
At the same time, the government (via the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, and in collaboration with UN agencies) launched the “Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Mainstreaming in Local Councils” project (2025) to embed gender responsive governance at the local council level (in selected districts, chiefdoms, and communities) in line with the GEWE Act.
High prevalence of sexual and domestic violence remains a serious issue, including rape, intimate partner abuse, and early forced marriage.
Cultural stigma and weak enforcement of laws discourage women from seeking justice.
Gender equity in Senegal
The “National Strategy for Gender Equity and Equality 2 (SNEEG 2016-2026)” provides an overarching framework for gender equity in Senegal.
A subsequent “National Strategy for the Economic Empowerment of Women and Girls (SNAEF 2020-2024)” has a particular focus on women’s access to productive sectors and resources.
The government of Senegal created the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth (DER/FJ) in 2017 to promote entrepreneurship among women and youth, combining financial support with assistance services.
Moreover, it has created the Department of Gender Equity and Equality (DEEG) (by decree 2008-1045) to ensure political and operational support for gender equality in the country.
Despite the progress, many women still work in informal/unprotected sectors, which limits full empowerment.
Breaking barriers in Niger
In Niger, the Women’s Functional Literacy Program is implemented by the national Directorate for Literacy and Non-Formal Education (DPAFA) and targets adult women (15+ years) to learn reading, writing, basic numeracy, and income-generating skills in Niger.
Projects such as the “Breaking Barriers to Girls’ Education” (Diffa, Tahoua, Tillabéry regions) aim to reduce multiple barriers: child marriage, health & hygiene, community sensitization, and promoting girls’ retention in school.
The World Bank approved $230 million (IDA financing) in June 2023 for the “Learning Improvement for Results in Education (LIRE)” project in Niger.
This project explicitly addresses girls’ access through boarding schools, improving classroom infrastructure, and improving teaching quality.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), together with Niger’s Ministry of National Education and the Directorate of Literacy & Non-Formal Education, launched a pilot project in November 2022 in the Niamey region to support newly literate girls/women via reading courses, like training in sewing/embroidery and income-generating workshops.
For girls, dropping out is common due to early marriage, household duties, lack of female teachers, and poor school environment. Mentorship/safe-spaces aim to help.
Mauritania’s gender policy
Mauritania’s Ministry of National Education and Reform of the Educational System (MENRSE) adopted the Gender at the Centre Initiative (GCI) & sector-plan integration GCI approach in partnership with IIEP‑UNESCO and others, embedding gender equality into policy, planning, and monitoring.
A project document (“IQRAA” or similar) identifies the special need to expand access for adolescent girls in upper secondary education by building/upgrading gender-sensitive infrastructure (e.g., separate sanitation facilities), providing scholarships/stipends, and engaging communities to shift attitudes.
According to the “Survey of ICT and Education in Africa: Mauritania Country Report,” the country has established about 500 literacy centers, with efforts to locate centers near communities and to award prizes to female participants.
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The government reported that it provides free education at all levels.
Despite progress, significant gaps remain. According to one source, about 47 % of girls do not make the transition from primary to secondary school. Therefore, authorities should address enrolment at the primary level.
How Mali is financing women’s empowerment
The Formal Education Access and Quality Improvements Project has improved Education Quality and Results for All (MIQRA).
It was approved in 2021 to provide about US $80 million in financing to support the national education system, with a specific aim of promoting girls’ access to lower and upper secondary education in underserved areas.
According to the UN Women Country Program for Mali (2020-2025), the government collaborates with UN Women on gender-responsive policies, including in education, and improving women’s leadership, which indirectly supports girls’ education.
The program Empowering Adolescent Girls and Young Women through Education in Mali (UNESCO / UN Women / UNFPA) focuses on adolescent girls and young women across several regions of Mali (Segou, Mopti, Timbuktu, Bamako).
Gender disparities need to be addressed further for more women to thrive.
Liberia is empowering women through digital literacy
A countrywide project by the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MGCSP), in partnership with the World Bank and other development partners, has successfully promoted women’s empowerment.
A recent initiative by the Ministry of Education, Liberia (MOE) is to train 1,000 young women (aged 18-24) in digital literacy and cybersecurity skills by 2028.
This is through organizations like the Forum for African Women Educationalists Liberia (FAWE Liberia), which work with the government to influence education policy so that girls and young women have access to and quality education.
Even with these initiatives, girls in Liberia still face multiple barriers, including early marriage, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, poverty, and cultural norms that prioritize boys’ schooling over girls’.
Enrolment is improving, but completion (secondary, tertiary) remains lower for girls, and transition to employment is limited.
The Liberian government (often with development partners) has several targeted initiatives for women’s/girls’ education. They include the broad, multi-component LWEP, a focused tech skills program for young women, and policy/institutional reforms through organizations like FAWE Liberia.
These efforts are positive and important, but face typical constraints, including resource limitations, geographic/rural reach, socio-cultural barriers, and ensuring quality and long-term sustainability.
Systemic issues in Guinea-Bissau
The Government of Guinea-Bissau, through the Ministry of Education and other ministries, is partnering with the World Bank on the “Guinea-Bissau Human Capital Project” (approved January 2025).
Several programs exist that directly focus on adult women’s literacy and empowerment, aligning with the broader goal of enabling women (and thereby girls) to value education.
A program by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and local partners in the Plack neighborhood trained women in literacy (reading, writing, arithmetic).
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), projects targeting 2,500 girls aged 12-19 across 30 communities in the Bafatá and Gabú regions.
The work uses the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) and life skills to help out‐of‐school adolescent girls finish basic education.
Access to schools (especially in rural regions) remains difficult for many girls; e.g., drop-out and out-of-school rates are high among girls.
Systemic issues like early marriage, child labor, inadequate infrastructure, and gender stereotypes remain significant obstacles.
How Gambia is addressing women’s empowerment
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology (MoHERST) has validated a dedicated gender inclusion policy targeted at tertiary and higher education.
The policy aims to increase female enrolment, participation, and representation. Education is free for both boys and girls up to Grade 12 in public schools.
The “Gender, Education & Training” section of policy emphasizes investments in early childhood education, improving the quality of learning, especially in STEM, and supporting girls’ and women’s access to education.
There are support measures, such as scholarship packages for girls, including the Girls’ Scholarship Trust Fund and the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre Scholarship for Girls, to promote girls’ access to education.
In addition, the government adopted a strategy to leverage ICTs (information & communication technologies) to empower youth and women.
The Gambian government is taking multiple angles, including access to education (free public schooling up to Grade 12, scholarships for girls), higher-education inclusion (gender policy for tertiary institutions), skills & technology (ICT strategy), and economic empowerment (Women Enterprise Fund, SWEDD+).
The integration of gender-responsive policies (e.g., gender inclusion in higher education) reflects a recognition that formal access is only part of the solution; the quality, retention, progression, and support environment matter too.
Many girls, especially in rural areas, face barriers to schooling due to poverty, early marriage, and traditional gender roles.
High dropout rates among girls are attributed to household responsibilities or a lack of resources, such as school fees and materials.
Way Forward
Women’s empowerment in West Africa remains a crucial aspect of achieving sustainable development, social justice, and inclusive growth.
Despite progress in education, political representation, and economic participation, women in the region continue to face cultural, financial, and institutional barriers.
To strengthen women’s empowerment, a multi-dimensional approach is needed.
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