Oumou Salif Touré, a young Malian activist from the West African Young Feminist Network, talks about her commitment to gender equality at the Generation Equality Forum, which begins today! The West African Young Feminist Network is very active in the Generation Equality Forum (GEF). How does this translate in concrete terms? We have organized and participated in numerous social and political mobilization events in the run-up to the GEF. To name just a few: a sub-regional webinar with the participation of Delphine O (Secretary-General of the GEF) and Oulimata Sarr (Regional Director of UN Women); panels organized in partnership with the French Embassy in Mali on the morning of the FGE launch day; and the talk "Francophone Sororities: Patriarchy and Body Control" during the Feminist World Tour of the #StopTalkingStartFundingcampaign. In addition, we collaborated with Equipop to develop and publish a guide to feminist activism for young people, and we are helping to run a Facebook group to discuss youth mobilization during the FGE. We are also mobilizing through traditional and non-traditional media, participating in programs and interviews and investing in social media. You can also catch me live on France 24 at 7:10 p.m. for Le Débat. Finally, I will be representing the network at the opening ceremony of the Generation Equality Forum today (June 30) at 3:30 p.m. to advocate for more funding for feminist organizations! Why is it important for your network to take action? West Africa is rich in opportunities, but also in challenges when it comes to women's rights. The Young Feminists of West Africa network is mobilizing to remind people that defending women's rights is crucial to creating societies based on a culture of respect for human rights for all. We expect the Generation Equality Forum to produce concrete measures from governments to promote and protect all human rights. Oumou is a member of the West African Young Feminists Network, which, together with Equipop and Alliance Droits et Santé, is campaigning to ensure that this high-level global meeting leads to decisive state commitments to the rights of women and girls around the world.
