USAID / Guinea - Success Stories

Guinean women politicians saw political and economic gains made by women in Senegal, and are now working to apply those lessons back in Guinea.

Saran Diabaté, member of the Reassembly of Guinean People party (RPG), was amazed at what she saw as part of a USAID-sponsored political study mission that brought 15 prominent Guinean women politicians to Senegal from September 21-28, 2001. During a nationally televised press conference in Conakry on October 20, Diabaté and the other women participants spoke about valuable lessons learned. "This was a pilgrimage for us. What struck us was the solidarity among women in Senegal. Regardless of political affiliation, women were helping women to promote development. There was solidarity, synergy and commitment-women were engaged in the development process."

Although Senegal is a neighboring country to Guinea, the political landscape there is quite different for women. Says Jeanne Wilkinson, of the Party for Unity and Progress (PUP), "Even though the emancipation of African women began here in Guinea, Senegalese women are now ahead of us with regard to the advancement of democracy for women. They've understood the message of democracy-regardless of race, religion or political party affiliation. Senegalese women give each other a hand to help promote women's causes, and to get women get into decision-making positions."

Guinean women were particularly impressed by the Senegalese Women's Council (COSEF) and open-door policy of the organization to include all Senegalese women. Says Diouhé Bah of Union for Progress and Renewal (UPR), "Women of all educational levels are able to come and speak their minds at COSEF-nobody is excluded."

In a speech that drew applause, Teninké Dioubaté of Union of Republican Forces (UFR) said, "Human rights and women's rights are preconditions for social and economic development in our country. Guinean women make up over 51% of the population. That figure is much bigger than the number of women who are decision-makers here in Guinea. Because of that, we are declaring war on all forms of discrimination based on sex.

Right now, we are speaking about ways that women can acquire power. Women should learn how to get in power, wherever that is, either by a nomination, or with an election, by completely legal means. We need to follow the example of our sisters in other African countries, create our own political coalitions, local organizations, women's associations, and have women elected into public office."

This year, the study group members have created the Women's Political Party Organization (FPP), the first inter-party political organization in Guinea. New ideas for the FPP include: fundraising; training for women in leadership and negotiation skills; creating stronger, synergistic links between NGOs that promote women's causes and women politicians; and working to diminish rivalry and create a cooperative environment between disparate women's organizations so that all Guinean women will reap greater benefits.

With legislative elections on the horizon, the study group women have also lobbied the leaders of all of the major political parties in Guinea to promote women as candidates to raise the political visibility of women, and to get more women into decision-making positions as members of the Guinean National Assembly.

USAID/ Guinea- Success Stories