Fatoumata Jawara, Founder & CEO of Maa Foundation for Women, joined a distinguished gathering of African women leaders and civil society voices in Dakar, Senegal, for a powerful dialogue on women’s economic empowerment.
Bringing the voice of a Gambian grassroots organization to the regional and global stage, Fatoumata shared the platform with distinguished leaders, including the Honourable Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare of Senegal and the Honourable Minister responsible for Women and Family Affairs, alongside prominent women leaders and civil society representatives.
Her participation was made possible through the collaboration with IHM Africa, whose commitment to community empowerment, collaboration and sustainable development helps create platforms that connect grassroots leadership with wider regional and global conversations.
Speaking from the perspective of a grassroots civil society leader, Fatoumata highlighted the power of civil society organizations to turn women’s empowerment from a policy commitment into tangible economic opportunities. From connecting women to markets, entrepreneurship and finance to supporting leadership, skills development and value addition, CSOs play a critical role in ensuring that women—particularly those at the grassroots—are not left behind.
“Let us move from empowering women to enabling women to earn. When a woman can turn her skills into a sustainable business, income and economic independence, that is when empowerment becomes real.”
Her participation reinforces the importance of bringing grassroots voices into high-level policy spaces and demonstrates the impact civil society can have in shaping solutions that respond directly to women’s realities.
Through Maa Foundation for Women, Fatoumata continues to champion women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, leadership and grassroots transformation—connecting community-level action with national, regional and global conversations.