MY SPEECH AT THE MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATION IN ABOISSO IN 2026

Mrs. Dominique Ouattara to the women of Sud-Comoe: “Your contribution to the development of Côte d’Ivoire is immense”

The First Lady, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara, celebrated the mothers of the South-Comoe region on Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Aboisso, at Alexis Elleingand Etchié Square, on the occasion of Mother’s Day. Below is the full text of her speech on this occasion.

My dear sisters,

My dear daughters,

I am very happy this morning to celebrate Mother’s Day 2026 with you in the beautiful city of Aboisso.

First and foremost, I would like to convey the warmest greetings from my dear husband, President Alassane Ouattara.

He has asked me to give you all a big hug on his behalf and to wish each of his sisters and daughters a very happy Mother’s Day.

I would now like to warmly greet my dear older sister, Mrs. Henriette Konan Bédié, whom I am very happy to see again for this festive occasion. Dear Henriette, thank you for making the trip to celebrate with us mothers from South Comoé, your beautiful region.

I would also like to greet our dear sister, Mrs. Simone Gbagbo, also a daughter of the region, who has graced us with her presence. Dear Simone, thank you for making the trip to be by our side on this important day as we celebrate the mothers of Côte d’Ivoire.

As we know, you have always been very close to the people, and you never cease to show them your affection through your social initiatives. Thank you for your warm presence, which touches me deeply.

I also extend my greetings to my dear sister, Mrs. Maimouna Koné, wife of the Vice President, who is always by our side. Dear Maï, thank you for being with us today.

I extend my greetings to the Presidents of our institutions : Ms. Kandia Camara, President of the Senate ; and Ms. Chantal Camara, President of the Constitutional Council, whom I am happy to see again today. Thank you for your much-appreciated presence.

I would also like to extend my greetings to all the ministers present here today, and in particular to Ms. Nassénéba Touré, Minister for Women, Family, and Children, whom I thank for her kind words addressed to me.

My greetings also go to Ministers Jean-Louis Moulot and Hien Yacouba Sié, sons of this region, whom I warmly thank for their contributions to the success of this event.

I would now like to greet my dear sisters, the wives of the heads of institutions and ministers, as well as the members of my delegation, who are by our side on every occasion. Thank you for your constant support.

I also greet the Ambassadors and Members of the Diplomatic Corps, as well as their beautiful spouses, whom I thank for their much-appreciated presence.

I also greet the prefectural, administrative, and political authorities who have come from here and elsewhere to be part of this beautiful celebration.

I would also like to extend a warm welcome to all the distinguished guests who have joined us to celebrate with our mothers, and especially Mr. N’Gouan Jérémie Alfred, Mayor of Aboisso, whom I thank for his warm words of welcome.

I also thank all the regional officials and all the Kings of South Comoé.

I also greet our distinguished traditional chiefs and religious leaders, for praying and blessing us on every occasion. Thank you.

Finally, I extend my warmest greetings to all the mothers who have come in large numbers from the four departments of Sud-Comoé: Aboisso, Adiaké, Grand-Bassam, and Tiapoum.

My dear sisters, you all look beautiful this morning, and I am happy to spend this moment with you. I also thank you for the wonderful gifts you have given me.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

My dear sisters,

As you know, every year I make it a point to celebrate Mother’s Day alongside my sisters in the various regions of our beautiful country. And it is with immense joy that, in this year 2026, I have chosen to come and celebrate all mothers in our beautiful city of Aboisso.

The South Comoé region, which welcomes us today, stands at the crossroads of our country’s history and modernity.

It is characterized by its rich cultural heritage, its strategic location, its unparalleled agricultural wealth, and its strong tourism potential, all of which make it a major economic hub of Côte d’Ivoire.

 

Furthermore, I am proud to see the vitality and cohesion of the region’s communities. Here, people live in perfect harmony, and that is the very soul of Côte d’Ivoire—the one we love and are building together. Well done, dear parents!

My dear sisters of the South Comoe region,

Today, the spotlight is on you, and I would like to pay you a heartfelt tribute.

You are the pillars of your households, the educators of your children, and the unsung builders of our society. You bear the burden of daily sacrifices with a generosity that commands admiration.

You are women of conviction and action who are not afraid to start businesses, produce, process, and sell local products. Your contribution to the development of Côte d’Ivoire is immense, and it is only right that on this day dedicated to you, we honor you.

I am also happy about this wonderful gathering of the daughters and sons of South Comoe who have made the journey to celebrate this Mother’s Day. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. You deserve a big round of applause.

My dear sisters,

This celebration is also an opportunity for me to reaffirm my commitment to stand by your side, through tangible actions aimed at promoting your economic empowerment.

Indeed, you will recall that in September 2015, we were in this very same place, with my dear older sister, Mrs. Henriette Konan Bédié, as part of the state visit made by my husband, President Alassane Ouattara, to South Comoé.

On that occasion, I made significant donations and presented FAFCI checks to my sisters in the region.

This low-interest credit fund, established in 2012 with the support of my dear husband, the President of the Republic, has become, over the years, a true instrument of economic justice. Today, it enables 430,000 women throughout Côte d’Ivoire to develop income-generating activities and provide for their families, and especially their children.

As for the South-Comoe region, a budget of 3.9 billion CFA francs has already been made available to our sisters.

The excellent repayment rate of 97.62% in the region is very encouraging, and I congratulate you on this. Today, to enable you to further develop your activities, I am granting you an additional 500 million CFA francs. This will bring your total funding to 4.4 billion CFA francs.

This is an opportunity for me to extend my sincere congratulations to the women of Côte d’Ivoire who have embraced the FAFCI program, which today serves as a true tool for financial inclusion and sustainable development. The inspiring stories from our sisters that we have just heard, like those we hear throughout Côte d’Ivoire, reinforce our conviction to continue our efforts to empower women.

My dear sisters,

In addition to the FAFCI funds, I have also brought you donations of food and non-food items worth 500 million CFA francs, the details of which were previously announced by Ms. Nadine Sangaré. I am also presenting you with 5,000 sets of Côte d’Ivoire wax fabric for this special occasion, Mother’s Day, so that you may be even more beautiful every day.

My dear sisters,

I cannot conclude my remarks without sharing a deep conviction with you. Indeed, I am firmly convinced that it is only when our families are prosperous and thriving that our country can move forward and develop serenely and in peace. I therefore urge you to remain, in your homes, neighborhoods, and villages, agents of social cohesion and the sense of community that is so dear to us.

Rest assured that I stand by your side today and every day, to amplify your voices and support your well-being.

I wish all my sisters in Côte d’Ivoire a very happy Mother’s Day.

Thank you.