The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, visited Senegal, where he met with the President of Senegal, Macky Sall. During the visit, the Prime Minister promoted trade and investment opportunities between our two countries and focused on advancing innovative climate action, democracy and governance, and the empowerment of women and girls.

Canada’s partnership with Senegal

To advance shared priorities with Senegal, Canada is investing to:

• Improve the living conditions of 4,000 farmers and benefit 11,600 members of farmers’ families and organizations by introducing better tools and production practice. Canada will provide $18 million to support a climate resilience project with the Centre d’étude et de coopération international (CECI) and the Société de coopération pour le développement international (SOCODEVI). These are two Canadian organizations that share technical expertise and knowledge with partners in developing countries. The project will help women and youth adopt climate-smart agricultural practices and participate in leadership programs.

• Give access to financial services and agricultural insurance to 100,000 farmers in Casamance, Senegal. The Government is contributing an additional $9.8 million to support a climate resilience project with SOCODEVI. This project will build on Canada’s previous efforts to modernize farming practices and introduce innovative approaches that mitigate the impacts of climate change, with a focus on women farmers.

• Support 1,000 women working in promising sectors of the economy and mobilize an additional 200,000 people so that women are recognized as leaders and active citizens in their communities. Canada is contributing $18 million to College and Institutes Canada to support income generating activities of vulnerable and marginalized women. The project will provide women with access to training programs and other resources, and increase their participation in their communities.

• Improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescent girls in Senegal. Canada will provide $4.8 million to the International Development Research Centre to examine the link between gender-based violence and broader gender inequalities, and address policy shortcomings related to adolescent girls’ health and rights. As a result, adolescent girls will be better able to exercise their sexual and reproductive health rights.

• Keep adolescent girls in school by addressing health and protection issues, creating a learning environment more suitable to girls’ needs, and supporting their academic success. Canada will provide $10 million to the World Bank for a project that will help teachers and schools better evaluate learning results and implement Senegal’s National Strategy for the Promotion of Science and Mathematics Education. As a result, adolescent girls in Senegal will have better opportunities to access an education, earn higher wages, and break the cycle of poverty.

• Help 6,000 women and girls in 200 communities become leaders in their communities through a community-based educational program focused on gender equality, human rights, and conflict resolution. Canada will provide $3.9 million to Tostan to support women and girls to become agents of change, and to help end harmful practices such as early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

• Support and accelerate the implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Gender Action Plan by providing $6 million. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification Gender Action Plan recognizes that, when land is degraded and usable land becomes scarce, women are uniquely affected. This is due to their substantial role in agriculture and food production, their reliance on forests, their greater vulnerability to poverty, and their typically weaker legal protection and social status.

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