Women and young people: drivers of change to be supported!

DAKAR, Senegal, Oct. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

15th Francophonie Summit  

On 29 and 30 November, 2014, International Conference Centre, Dakar, Senegal  

For over a year, experts and members of Senegalese civil society have been mobilised in planning the scheduled programme of the 15th Francophonie Summit, which will focus on the topics selected during the previous Kinshasa Summit, "Women and Young People in the Francophone World: Peace-builders and Key Players for Development".  

The objective: to offer specific initiatives to meet the social, economic, and political challenges facing young people and women, who together represent of 70% of the population of Francophonie Member States.  

The different meetings organized during the year by the Scientific Committee, chaired by El Hadj Hamidou Kasse, Special Advisor to the President of the Republic, enabled the formalization of strategic recommendations available for the Head of States and Governments. They start from the necessity to better inform and train women and young people in accordance with local needs but also, and especially, through supporting their entrepreneurial initiatives at a local, national, and international level.  

They also call for the coordinated efforts of the key players in the Francophone world (states and governments, institutions, investors, local communities, businesses, etc.). Here are some of the strategic and operational recommendations:

• The legal enshrinement of socio-economic and cultural rights for women and young people (access to quality land, production factors, capital, and markets)
• The establishment of a Francophonie Forum for scientific, technological, cultural, and agricultural innovation in order to strengthen women's entrepreneurship
• Innovative support and funding mechanisms with, for instance, a Francophone investment bank for entrepreneurship among young people and women.
• Enhance scientific and cultural mobility within the Francophone world by facilitating the fixed-term visa-approval process
• Support the circulation of knowledge within the Francophone area by widening Francophonie participation in international volunteering efforts and establishing a Francophone academy and a camp of excellence
• Set up a body which brings together the health ministers of Francophone countries to deal with health issues
• Increase prevention by promoting physical and sporting activities in educational systems while highlighting the Francophonie Games
• Use digital resources which offer unprecedented opportunities for training and learning while also representing a sector in which numerous youth initiatives are being developed
• Establishing operational mechanisms to support women and youth and women employment

For further practical information about the 15th Francophonie Summit: http://www.francophoniedakar2014.sn/

You can also follow what's happening with the Summit on: @SFDK2014 and join the Facebook group on: DAKAR 2014!  

Media contact: Francophonie_dakar2014@richardattiasassociates.com