Ecobank Foundation has partnered with the UNFPA WCARO to strengthen the leadership and financial management capacity of the SWEDD project.
With the support of the Ecobank Academy, the Ecobank Foundation, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund Regional Office for West and Central Africa is strengthening the capacity of finance managers. The training builds on the objectives of the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD) to blend financial management, leadership and strategy execution. Indeed, The objective of this program is to upskill UNFPA/SWEDD Implementing partners on the project financing, controls, audit, leadership and execution in order to drive tangible results in the project implementation and monitoring.
Gathered in Ecobank Headquarters in Togo from 1st to 5th July 2019, the 22 delegates enrolled for this first session were equipped with knowledge essential for the proper administrative and accounting procedures of the project, including the applicable procurement rules. They also enhanced their behavioural and influencing skills as to become more effective in their current roles, making a lasting impact in the communities in which they serve.
The overarching purpose of the project is to enable autonomy amongst women and girls, by empowering women economically, promoting the education of girls, and the battle against child marriage.
The seven-member countries of SWEDD, which is funded by the World Bank, are Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.