According to the government report covering 2011–2025, a total of 457,000 households benefited from cash transfers amounting to 140.179 billion CFA francs between 2017 and 2024.
It is not often emphasized, but deprivation of resources is considered a form of gender-based violence. For this reason, women’s empowerment has been established as a priority by the Ivorian government, which has implemented various programs and initiatives to ensure women’s full development and fulfillment.
“United against digital violence and femicides: prevent, protect, denounce.” This was the theme under which Côte d’Ivoire launched, on November 25, the 35th edition of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign. Gender-based violence (GBV) includes six types: rape, physical assault, sexual assault including female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, deprivation of resources, and psychological and emotional abuse (including cyber harassment).
The Ivorian government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward these various forms of violence, including deprivation of resources. In this regard, several initiatives and programs have been implemented to improve women’s living conditions. Within this framework, the Ministry of Women, Family and Children launched on September 19, 2025, the Development of Women’s Economic Initiatives and Capacity-Building Programme for Empowerment (DICEFA), implemented over the 2025–2030 period.
With a budget of 28.5 billion CFA francs, the program is based on four main components: the construction and equipment of 20 modern processing centers, technological support to the food value chain, acceleration of women-led agricultural enterprises, and the establishment of a working capital and business financing fund. The pilot phase covers 10 regions of Côte d’Ivoire.
The DICEFA program aims to create 200 women-led businesses and support 10,500 cooperatives in rural and peri-urban areas. By integrating digital and technological solutions, the program seeks to improve production, processing, and marketing activities.
Within the ministry, the Innovative Management Project of the National Women and Development Fund (PGNFND) also supports women in developing income-generating activities. Between 2020 and 2024, a total of 4,148 women benefited from the project, receiving overall funding of 946 million CFA francs, with a repayment rate reaching 95.7%.
Among the ministry’s innovative initiatives is also the Women’s Factory of Côte d’Ivoire (USIFEM) program, launched in 2020. The program involves establishing factories in areas where women are organized into cooperatives to process their products, improve commercialization, and reduce post-harvest losses. The initial cost of the USIFEM project amounts to 4.9 billion CFA francs.
In addition to the Ministry of Women’s initiatives, the Productive Social Safety Nets Program, managed by the Ministry of National Cohesion, Solidarity and Poverty Reduction, operates across the country’s 31 regions. With many women among its beneficiaries, the program has helped lift thousands of families out of poverty.
According to the government’s 2011–2025 report, 457,000 households received cash transfers totaling 140.179 billion CFA francs between 2017 and 2024.
Women’s empowerment efforts also include the Côte d’Ivoire Women’s Support Fund (FAFCI), established by First Lady Dominique Ouattara. Created in 2012, the fund had empowered more than 420,000 women and positively impacted over 2,000,000 people by the end of 2024.
Through commitment, promotion, protection, and empowerment initiatives, the government has remained actively engaged. These efforts contribute to building a more equitable, more united, and more prosperous Côte d’Ivoire — for a stronger nation.
