Thirty years after the Beijing Declaration, this report highlights the continued marginalization of African women with disabilities in public policy and feminist movements. Despite legal frameworks like the CRPD and the African Disability Protocol, implementation remains weak. Based on consultations with 244 women across 23 countries, the report reveals deep-rooted, intersectional discrimination: extreme poverty, specific forms of gender-based violence, political underrepresentation, economic exclusion, and barriers to healthcare and education. Most policies lack an intersectional lens and disaggregated data, limiting effective action. This participatory report calls for the recognition of disabled women as change-makers and provides concrete recommendations for their full inclusion. It emphasizes the urgency of integrating their voices in decision-making spaces to achieve genuine gender equality.

Health, Violence, Discrimination, Inclusive education, Inclusion, Socio-economic integration

The article "Reframing the Response of West African Coastal Countries to Violent Extremism" by Daniel Eizenga and Amandine Gnanguênon, published on August 20, 2024, by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, examines the spread of extremist violence from the Sahel to West African coastal countries. It highlights that nations such as Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania are increasingly affected by the activities of Islamist militant groups. The authors recommend a multidimensional response, combining the strengthening of ties with local communities, regional security cooperation, and the development of integrated strategies that consider local, national, and regional priorities to effectively counter this threat.

Governance, Security, Violence

The article titled "Nous ne sommes peut-être pas instruites mais nous avons beaucoup d’abnégation et savons qui nous sommes, avec beaucoup d’expérience sur le terrain politique" features the testimony of Adja Absa Laye Souaré, a fish seller and municipal councilor in Thiès, Senegal. Active in politics since 1986, she has successively been involved with the Socialist Party, the Senegalese Democratic Party, and later Rewmi. She emphasizes that, although some women lack formal education, they possess significant determination and political experience. Adja Absa Laye Souaré highlights the importance of active female participation in decision-making bodies and denounces their instrumentalization in politics. She calls for increased support to strengthen women's capacities and promote their access to leadership positions, considering their close ties with local populations as a major asset for local development.

Gender, Development, Women, Political participation, Inclusion

Action Against Hunger's 2024 regional report assesses biomass production in the Sahel and West Africa. Following a poor rainy season in 2023, 2024 was marked by abundant rainfall, particularly in the central Sahel, leading to exceptional biomass yields in Niger, Chad, and Burkina Faso. In contrast, coastal countries and some agricultural areas of Mali, Senegal, and southern Chad recorded moderate to low biomass production. Despite sufficient overall resource availability, access is hampered by insecurity, restrictions on livestock mobility, and pressure on grazing land. The report highlights the importance of sustainable resource management, support for pastoralists, and facilitating cross-border transhumance before the 2025 dry season.

Politics, Political party, Natural ressources, Security, Development, Gold, Poverty, Human security, Vulnerability, Knowlege production

This article examines the intersection between the politics of regionalism and security politics by analyzing the recent reorganization of regions. It explores how political communities are transforming into security regions, focusing on the political and security dynamics that influence these transformations. The study highlights the key factors contributing to this evolution and analyzes the implications for regional governance and international cooperation. It also highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with this transformation of regional structures.

Politics, Governance, Security, Cooperation, Coopération régionale

Pastoralism plays a vital role in West and Central Africa, contributing to food security and biodiversity conservation. However, this way of life is threatened by climate change, land degradation, and socio-political conflicts. Action Against Hunger (ACF) has implemented various initiatives to strengthen the resilience of pastoral communities, including improving access to water and pasture, promoting sustainable practices, and establishing early warning systems. Regional and national policies support pastoralism through infrastructure, regulations promoting transhumance, and climate adaptation programs. However, challenges persist, including agricultural expansion, land privatization, resource conflicts, and widespread insecurity. A coordinated approach and concerted action are needed to preserve this essential way of life.

Economic Development, Livestock, Climate change, Security, Conflict, Education, Development, Human security, Soicial sciences, Knowlege production

Over the past three decades, participation in higher education in sub-Saharan Africa has grown at an accelerating pace. However, enrollment rates remain modest compared to other developing regions. This growth has not kept pace with population growth and pent-up demand for higher education. Data on participation by social or ethnic group are limited, making it difficult to assess the equitable distribution of this expansion. Studies indicate that the "massification" of higher education has not yet occurred in the region, with significant variations by gender, geography, and ethnicity. The diversification of higher education landscapes, marked by the elevation of often under-resourced public institutions to university status and the consolidation of a large and disparate private sector, raises questions about the quality of education. Accumulated student resistance to tuition fee increases or other reforms may reflect tensions between new groups seeking access to higher education as a means of social mobility and elites aiming to control the transformation of this sector to consolidate their ascendancy.

Governance, Inequality, Education, Politique publique

The article Learning Assessment in Sub-Saharan Africa by Pierre Varly, published by UNESCO-TALENT in 2020, analyzes the participation of African countries in international assessments of educational achievement. It highlights the low representation of sub-Saharan Africa in programs such as PISA and TIMSS, although some countries, such as Senegal and Zambia, take part in PISA-D (a version adapted for developing countries). The article highlights the major challenges of learning assessment, including the lack of institutional capacity and the low reliability of available data. It emphasizes the need to adapt these assessments to local realities to improve the quality of education systems in Africa.

Governance, Education, Politique publique

The study on traditional justice in the Sahel, carried out in two phases (2020 and 2022), analyzes the articulation between customary and state justice systems for better access to justice. It highlights the growing support of populations, including young people, for traditional justice, in the face of mistrust of formal justice, often perceived as inaccessible or inequitable. The study is based on a comparative and multidisciplinary approach, with a particular focus on the rights of women and children. The results show that customary systems, although legitimate in the eyes of the populations, have limitations, particularly in the protection of human rights. The study proposes a hybrid model integrating customary, religious, and formal justice to improve access to justice. Finally, it recommends the transcription of customary rules and awareness-raising on human rights to strengthen their complementarity with formal justice.

Gender, Natural ressources, Justice, Political Violence, Gold, Violence, Customs, Threat, Researh, Knowlege production