49th International Women’s Day : First Lady Dominique Ouattara Calls for Strengthened Justice for Women and Girls
First Lady Dominique Ouattara presided over the official celebration of the 49th International Women’s Day (IWD) on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the ADO Square in Abobo. This year’s national theme was: “Justice for All : Taking Actionon behalf of Women and Girls in Côte d’Ivoire.”
The ceremony witnessed the presence Prime Minister Robert Beugre Mambe ; President of the National Assembly Patrick Achi; Maimouna Koné, wife of the Vice-President of the Republic; President of the Senate Kandia Camara and Mayor of Abobo ; Minister of Women, Family and Children Nasseneba Toure ; and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Member of Parliament for Abobo Tene Birahima Ouattara. Also present were diplomats, representatives of the United Nations system, and numerous traditional and religious authorities who also took part in the event.
Before a crowd of women from several communes in the Abidjan District, the First Lady expressed her joy at being in Abobo to celebrate this day dedicated to the promotion of women’s rights. In her address, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara praised the strong turnout of women, particularly those from the Abobo commune, while also congratulating local authorities on the progress made in the commune’s development in recent years. “I want to say that I am very happy to be back in Abobo after all this time. I am aware of all the progress made in the development of this beautiful commune in our great capital, which is home to new infrastructure,” declared Mrs. Dominique Ouattara.
The First Lady recalled that since 2013, official celebrations of International Women’s Day have been organized in several regions of the country to reach women where they live and work. These various events have, she said, allowed for an assessment of the progress made in improving living conditions and promoting women’s rights. “Each event has been a new opportunity to witness the significant progress made regarding the rights and living conditions of our sisters,” revealed the wife of the President of the Republic.
More than 500 million CFA francs in various donations for the women of Abobo
In this context, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara reiterated the importance of the Women’s Support Fund of Côte d’Ivoire (FAFCI), which she launched in 2012 with the support of the Head of State to promote women’s economic empowerment. Today, this financing mechanism has enabled more than 425,000 women to develop income-generating activities and improve the living conditions of their families.
Thus, during this celebration, the First Lady announced an additional allocation of 500 million CFA francs for the women of Abobo, bringing the total amount of funding granted in this district through FAFCI to 2.8 billion CFA francs. She also donated a significant amount of equipment valued at 500 million CFA francs to support women’s economic activities and contribute to the fight against poverty. In addition to these in-kind donations, the First Lady also made a cash donation worth over thirteen (13) million CFA francs to the people present. In total, the First Lady provided the people of Abobo with in-kind and cash donations worth over 500 million CFA francs.
Drawing on this year’s theme, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara emphasized the need to translate justice for women into concrete actions in daily life. She specifically cited access to finance, girls’ education, the fight against gender-based violence, and improved representation of women in decision-making bodies as key priorities.
Côte d’Ivoire’s efforts in promoting gender
The First Lady also commended Côte d’Ivoire for its progress in promoting gender equality, thanks to the vision of the President of the Republic and the actions of the Government, while calling for continued efforts to strengthen equity and justice in society. “In recent years, our country has made significant strides in promoting gender equality, thanks to the vision of President Alassane Ouattara, as Minister Nassénéba Touré presented to us. However, we must continue to promote women’s rights in our societies so that equity and justice are more firmly established,” stated Mrs. Dominique Ouattara.
For Dominique Ouattara, justice for women must also benefit young girls, particularly through education, training, and access to new professional opportunities. She also reaffirmed the need to continue the fight against all forms of gender-based violence. “Acting for women and girls means acting for social peace, stability, and the sustainable development of Cote d’Ivoire,” she emphasized.
The First Lady finally encouraged women to continue their efforts with determination, reminding them that they are essential pillars of families and communities. She reiterated her support and affection for them, before commending their commitment to a better future. Speaking on behalf of the government, Ms. Nassénéba Touré, Minister of Women, Family, and Children, highlighted the significant legal progress made in recent years in promoting gender equality in Côte d’Ivoire.
She noted that the Constitution of the Third Republic enshrines the principle of equality for all citizens. This is complemented by the parity law adopted in 2019, which mandates a minimum of 30% female representation on electoral lists, and the 2015 law making schooling compulsory for all children aged 6 to 16.
According to the Minister, these reforms represent major achievements. But the real challenge, she emphasized, is now to ensure that these rights are translated into concrete action in the daily lives of Ivorian women, so that each woman can feel fully protected and supported by the State.
Speaking next, Ms. Kandia Camara, President of the Senate and Mayor of Abobo, praised the profound transformation of her municipality, which she described as “a municipality standing tall,” now a true showcase of Ivorian development. She also paid a heartfelt tribute to Dominique Ouattara, First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, whom she described as a source of inspiration and a refuge for the most vulnerable.
Addressing the issue of gender equality, Kandia Camara stressed the importance of improved access to justice for women. She therefore called for increased awareness of their fundamental rights, better popularization of texts relating to inheritance and land, bringing judicial services closer to rural and peri-urban populations, and accelerating the processing of cases related to gender-based violence.
For the UN Resident Coordinator in Cote d’Ivoire, Ms. Helene Ngarim-Ganga, this day is above all “a call to transform words in tangible actions so that every woman can fully enjoy her rights and participate in the nation’s development.”
In turn, Ms. Beugre Yao Gnamien, 6th Deputy Mayor of Abobo, and Ms. Adougnan Gladice thanked the First Lady for her generosity and for choosing the Abobo district to host this celebration.
It should be noted that the people of Abobo made numerous donations to the Presidential couple.