Burkina faso: The President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traor, reaffirmed on Sunday his vision of a true emancipation of women in Burkina Faso, based on production, processing, and technical training of young girls, on the occasion of the celebration of International Women's Day.
According to Burkina Information Agency, President Traor emphasized that International Women's Day should be a time for reflecting on concrete actions to strengthen the resilience and determination of women in the development process, rather than being solely devoted to festivities. In his message broadcast on national television, he explained that women's empowerment begins with their access to the means of production, ensuring that the State is working to provide production spaces and create necessary conditions with the support of the Ministry in charge of Agriculture, so they can produce and improve their incomes.
President Traor also highlighted the significance of processing local products, indicating that women will be supported in small-scale processing to enable them to showcase their talents and traditional skills. He stressed the importance of valuing women's ancestral knowledge in processing local products to allow them to flourish.
Further, the President underscored the need to encourage young women to pursue technical and vocational education to modernize processing activities. He believes that this approach will ultimately lead to the development of suitable machinery to support women's initiatives in this sector, achieving the goal of truly empowering Burkinabe women.
Convinced that the emancipation of women must also contribute to the transmission of Burkina Faso's values to younger generations, he invited women to serve as role models for young girls, particularly in the face of negative influences from social networks. He also encouraged women to form cooperatives and associations to create modern processing units capable of supporting the country's industrial development.
Citing existing processing plants in Burkina Faso, particularly in the field of tomato processing, where many women find employment opportunities, the President addressed his encouragement to all women of Burkina Faso, inviting them to become more involved in production, processing, and the education of young people in national values.