On the sidelines of the conference, Prime Minister Victoire Tomégah-Dogbé chaired a panel discussion, which was co-organised by the group of Geneva-based ambassadors from the following six African countries, Botswana, Djibouti, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal and Togo. Discussions focused on Africa’s commitment to the promotion of women participation in public and political life.
Discussions at the sideline ministerial event enabled participants to take stock of women’s participation in public and political life in their respective countries.
Prime Minister Victoire Tomégah-Dogbé shared Togo’s experience in promoting women through financial inclusion and empowerment. In Togo, financial inclusion and empowerment feature prominently on the list of priorities and are at the heart of the country’s development ambitions as outlined in the 2020-2025 government roadmap.
Togo commits to empowering women through over fifteen inclusive finance products, targeting various segments of the population. The National Fund for Inclusive Finance (FNFI) has enabled women to take charge of their own lives and look after their relatives by helping provide health care and education for their children.
The Togolese government made inclusive finance one of the key levers of its action in the northern part of our country, which is in the grip of insecurity caused by terrorist groups.
From 2014 to November 2023, more than 1.8 million loans were granted, making a total of over 180 million dollars. On average, beneficiaries have hit repayment rate of more than 94%, which is a great achievement for us. According to BCEAO reports, Togo ranks 1st in the UEMOA zone in terms of financial inclusion, and according to the latest statistics from July 2022, financial inclusion rate in Togo rose from 57% in 2014 to 72% in 2018, then to 85.72% in 2021, making Togo the best performer in the UEMOA zone,” said the Head of Government.
The participants warmly welcomed Togo’s efforts in promoting women participation in public and political life. Togo has a female prime minister and a female speaker of parliament, a third of government ministers are female, and several other institutions are headed by females.
Women are powerful transformers of our countries, and let’s put our trust in them,” she concluded.
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