The Professional Association of Decentralized Financial Systems of Burkina Faso (APSFD-BF) is making efforts to mainstream the gender dimension into its operations and interventions. This is what emerged from the institutional diagnosis of the Association on gender mainstreaming. The results of the study, conducted in the framework of Tanager‘s IGNITE mechanism, were presented on September 22, 2022 in Ouagadougou.

First steps towards gender mainstreaming

The institutional diagnosis conducted by the IGNITE mechanism shows that the Professional Association of Decentralized Financial Systems of Burkina Faso (APSFD-BF) is aware of the importance of gender in its approaches and programs. However, its ability to address the issue is poorly developed and can be improved.

“The result is quite satisfactory. The main point is the clear desire of the Association to integrate gender into its activities. Within the gender diagnostic spectrum of IGNITE, the APSFD-BF is at an advanced beginner stage because there are aspects that it already adopts and applies, but need improvement. Members are ready to be accompanied to improve this in the micro-finance sector,” said Sokhna GAYE MBODJ, Gender Expert for the IGNITE project (Burkina Faso) at Tanager.

From results to actions

After presentation of the results, the members of the association identified points on which efforts must be made for a better mainstreaming of gender in their interventions. Amongst others, they have identified the development of a gender strategy, the mainstreaming of gender into the texts and procedures of the Association and a training on gender for the members.

There are definite advantages for an institution like APSFD-BF to mainstream the gender issue into its approach. Sokhna GAYE MBODJ explains that gender mainstreaming enables the institution to respond in a differentiated way to the needs of the different beneficiaries and different targets. Adopting the gender approach also enables institutions to have a gender-sensitive organizational culture.

An initiative appreciated by all

According to Asseto AKOTIONGA-SAWADOGO, representative of the President of the Ethics and Deontology Committee of APSFD-BF, it’s very important to enable women to have access to credits. She affirms that we must also enable men to have access to credits. This will prevent them from putting pressure on their spouses in order to get them to take loans that can create problems for women later.

Aristide TAPSOBA, member of the APSFD-BF Board of Directors, positively appreciated the holding of this workshop. “It’s a beneficial activity because today, the theme that has been addressed is important for the institution. Myself, when I came, I was very apprehensive, but through the course of the activity, I admit that I came out very equipped with regards to this dimension,” he testified.

The IGNITE project is implemented by Tanager to improve household nutrition and empowering women by building the capacity of African institutions to integrate nutrition and gender into their agricultural operations and interventions. The project also supports institutions such as APSFD-BF which have the clear desire to integrate gender and to institutionalize it in their interventions.

Find all the tweets from the event here: https://bit.ly/3LAhhMF

Hadepté DA