Plan to make an impact, Les Voix EssentiELLES are back

The Voix EssentiELLES initiative is a pilot project financed by the CHANEL Foundation and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It is implemented by Speak Up Africa (SUA), a Dakar-based non-profit organization specialized in advocacy and strategic communications. The initiative is based on three main pillars: a Commitment Fund, a capacity-building program and a leadership program. Voix EssentiELLES provides grants of $15,000 per CSO, through a dedicated fund, to invest in capacity-building for women’s and girls’ community organizations, groups and networks, and their leaders.

For its phase 1, in September and October 2023, the Voix EssentiELLES initiative kicked off with the organization of 03 series of workshops in its countries of intervention: Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. The aim of these workshops was to capitalize on the achievements of the pilot phase and to define with the beneficiary organizations the objectives of the roadmaps to be implemented from September 2023 to May 2024, including strengthening the increased representation of women’s and girls’ organizations in health governance bodies, improving the living conditions of women and girls affected by tuberculosis, malaria, HIV and GBV, and facilitating access to quality sexual health services for women and girls.

The specific objectives were to: i. Present the results and recommendations of the pilot phase evaluation. ii. Discuss strategic orientations and interventions for the next phase based on the recommendations. iii. Facilitate interaction between pilot phase organizations and new recruits. iv. Encourage experience sharing between beneficiary organizations in each country and v. Develop draft action plans for organizations from September 2023 to May 2024.

Act 1: Workshop in Senegal (September 18-20, 2023)

The workshop in Senegal took place from September 18 to 20, 2023 at CNLS headquarters in Dakar. The workshop brought together 33 participants, including representatives of Speak Up Africa, the Instance de Coordination Nationale des subventions du FM, civil society (ICN), and 26 representatives of the initiative’s beneficiary organizations. The event aimed to achieve key deliverables, such as the identification of strategic interventions for participating organizations and the development of action plans for these organizations.

The first day saw participants welcomed, an opening ceremony with welcome speeches and introductions, the introduction of new organizations, as well as presentations on Speak Up Africa, the Voix EssentiELLES initiative, the results of the pilot phase and project indicators. Discussions and question-and-answer sessions followed, with the presentation of the 2022 roadmaps and orientations for the 2023 action plans. Thematic working groups were formed to develop these action plans. Day two saw further development of the action plans in working groups, with group discussions and progress updates, culminating in the finalization and presentation of the group action plans. Finally, the third day included a recap of the previous days, presentation and discussion of the finalized action plans, guidance on the initiative’s administrative and financial procedures, and a closing ceremony with general recommendations and next steps.

Workshops in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso followed a similar format and focused on sharing knowledge, promoting collaboration, and empowering women and girls to advocate for their health and well-being.

Act 2: Workshop in Côte d’Ivoire (September 28-29, 2023)

Côte d’Ivoire embraced the foundations laid by Senegal, focusing on learning from and reinforcing the results of the first day. The second phase of the workshop took place in Abidjan, where 20 representatives of selected NGOs gathered for the second day. This session began with a reminder of the previous day’s discussions and a review of the first day’s report. The Minister of Women, Family and Children was represented by Dr AMETHIER Solange, outgoing President of ICN Côte d’Ivoire. Recommendations on the involvement of public structures and local authorities were left to the organizations. The Platform of Civil Society Networks was represented, and played an active role in guiding CSOs working on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

On the second day, participants continued to work in their thematic groups, finalizing their action plans taking into account the recommendations left by the invited bodies at the launch. A distinctive feature of the day was a financial session led by Mr. Siaka Traoré, Speak Up Africa’s Chief Accountant, offering valuable information on administrative procedures, eligible expenses and financial reporting. The day ended with the presentation of the results of the thematic groups, laying the foundations for concrete action plans.

Act 3: Workshop in Burkina Faso (October 4-6, 2023)

The final chapter of the Voix EssentiELLES workshop took place in Burkina Faso, focusing on knowledge exchange and the creation of innovative action plans. Change agents from Burkina Faso, informed by the ideas and actions undertaken by their peers in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, joined forces in this regional initiative. The first day in Burkina Faso was a continuation of the learning and planning process. In addition to the beneficiary CBOs, it saw the participation of several partners, such as representatives of the main beneficiaries of GF grants, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry in charge of gender, and the Vice-President of the Instance de Coordination Nationale des subventions des Ressources du Fonds Mondial in Burkina Faso.

As in previous countries, the day began with a review of the project objectives and a presentation of the results and recommendations of the pilot phase. Participants discussed strategic directions for the next phase based on the recommendations, and engaged further with the core thematic areas. They collectively began drafting action plans that would guide the initiative from September 2023 to May 2024.

In conclusion, these workshops marked a decisive moment in the Voix EssentiELLES initiative, bringing together passionate individuals and organizations dedicated to advancing the cause of women and girls in West and Central Africa. The results of these meetings will undoubtedly contribute to positive change and more equitable health policies for women and girls in the region. It was an opportunity for the partners to reiterate their commitment to supporting the project in achieving these objectives.