Thiès: Rural women denounce their exclusion from public funding

Women in rural areas still struggle to access public funding. In the Thiès department, Ndèye Fatou Ndiaye Mbacké, head of a women's group, denounces the lack of support from the State and demands better access to financial resources to develop income-generating activities.

According to her, rural women remain largely excluded from the funding mechanisms put in place by state structures. "The funding allocated to women is insufficient," she laments, believing that the needs of women's groups are still not being adequately addressed.

Beyond funding, Ms. Mbacké advocates for comprehensive support for women, particularly in formalizing their businesses and implementing their projects. She believes that training, especially in the area of processing, cannot produce the desired results without financial resources that enable beneficiaries to take action.

"If we train women in transformation without financial support, it will be useless," she argues during a training workshop for the inclusive socio-economic revaluation of territories.

Ms. Mbacké also states that the efforts undertaken with public funding bodies have so far been unsuccessful. She cites, in particular, a registration drive organized in the Thiès department, during which women members of various groups filled out forms to obtain funding. Despite this effort, she reports that no funds have been granted to them to date.

Faced with this situation, she calls on the authorities to pay particular attention to women in rural areas, who aspire to develop their activities and strengthen their economic autonomy.

"We need funding like all other women," she insists, urging the State to translate its commitments into concrete measures in favor of rural women.