Poa: Traditional weaving remains the cornerstone of women's financial independence in Yagba, a village in the commune of Poa. A field visit on Thursday, January 29, 2026, provided firsthand insight into the realities on the ground.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Yagba is a short distance from the center of Poa. In this small town, many women practice traditional weaving to support their families. However, faced with a sluggish local market, these artisans are calling for institutional support to promote their skills.

For the women of Yagba, the loom is much more than a traditional tool; it is an engine of socio-economic development. Mrs. Zongo Sibiri Rasmata, a local weaver, testifies to the direct impact of this activity on the daily life of her household: "Thanks to this activity, I am able to pay for my children's schooling," she confides, while lamenting the slow sales of the products.

Poor sales are forcing artisans to make drastic concessions and lower prices. Ms. Kabor© Safi illustrates this reality with concrete figures: the price of woven fabrics has been reduced from 7,000 FCFA to 5,000 FCFA. Despite this effort, buyers continue to negotiate even lower prices.

'The market is very slow. Nevertheless, this activity allows me to meet my basic needs without being entirely dependent on my husband. In a household, a woman must also support her husband,' Ms. Kabor© emphasizes.

The struggle of these women also has a patriotic and social dimension. Mrs. Kabor©'s husband is a member of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) deployed on the front lines. By remaining within the extended family, she ensures the stability of the household through her work, transforming her husband's financial support into a means of improving the collective well-being of the extended family.

Faced with these challenges, the weavers of Yagba do not intend to give up. They are requesting support from local and national authorities to facilitate access to new markets (urban markets, fairs); to promote local crafts to justify fair prices; and to strengthen the economic autonomy of the women in the community.

For these craftswomen, structural support would transform this survival activity into a real engine of growth for the commune of Poa.