Women in Casamance region revitalize communities after crisis
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In Dar Salam, a village in the Nyassia district of Senegal’s Casamance region, women are rebuilding their lives and communities through agriculture, processing, and digital technology.
Arlette Mvondo, the regional director of UN Women Africa and resident representative in Senegal, visited Dar Salam and observed this resurgence after years of crisis. Moussa Aly Ba, the sub-prefect, connected the women’s progress to the Diomaye Plan for Casamance, a program prioritizing women in the region’s reconstruction and sustainable development.
Women in Dar Salam demonstrated tangible results, including flourishing peanut fields, a functioning millet mill, and processed agroforestry products. They are producing food, generating income, and contributing to food security, but still face challenges accessing land, equipment, and digital resources. UN Women provided the cooperatives with laptops, printers, and mobile phones to improve management, communication, and integration into value chains. Amy Diandy, speaking for the cooperatives, advocated for a processing unit and mangrove restoration.
The women have secured 1,800,000 CFA francs to sustain their activities, demonstrating growing financial independence and responsible collective management. Sub-prefect Ba emphasized that returning populations need to be able to live with dignity and that women must fully participate in transforming their territory. Arlette Mvondo stated that economic empowerment for women isn’t abstract, but is measurable through increased income, opportunities, and food security.
The women of Dar Salam are now producers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and builders of the future, and officials hope Casamance will become a model for inclusive and sustainable transformation.
