SENEGAL––The roles and responsibilities of elected women have always preoccupied the African Network for Integrated Development (RADI, in French), one of CESO’s partners in Senegal.
Women represent 52% of Senegal's population and 51% of the population eligible to vote, and yet women comprised only 11.96% of the total of elected officials in the last election in 2008. In fact, out of 15,436 elected local councils only 1,606 are women. At the local executive level, they are only 145 women or 10.93% out of 1,326 spots. In rural areas, elected women face enormous difficulties in carrying out their duties due to their lack of training.
RADI asked CESO to help strengthen the ability of the female members of partner organizations. The purpose? To build a new leadership organization that would foster awareness in the communities they represent. Volunteer France Rouillard worked on this assignment, and helped women to begin advocating for themselves and contributing to local development.
After CESO and RADI held training for these women, where most elected women from the St. Louis and Kaolack areas attended, participants created their own association, known as the “Women Elected Member Organizations of RADI” to serve as a platform and forum for contact and exchange of experiences and common issues. Though these women never had the opportunity before to participate in training dedicated specifically to them, they developed an action plan for elected women to fulfill their responsibilities.