3 questions to Christiane Yelibi, coordinator of Voix EssentiELLES at Speak Up Africa

Interview with Christiane Yelibi, coordinator of the Voix EssentiELLES program at Speak Up Africa

Focus 2030: Active in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Togo, and Benin, Speak Up Africa’s Voix EssentiELLES program supports community organizations so that women and girls have a say in decisions that affect their health and future. On the ground, what are the main obstacles they face today? And, conversely, what concrete progress have you observed?

Christiane Yelibi: The experiences of Voix EssentiELLES reveal a two-sided reality: structural barriers that still hinder equality, but also tangible changes that are gradually transforming local decision-making dynamics.

The first obstacle, unanimously mentioned, concerns the weight of sociocultural norms and gender inequalities. In many communities, decisions relating to the health of women and girls—particularly in terms of sexual and reproductive health—remain strongly influenced, if not controlled, by spouses, heads of families, or traditional leaders. Women’s voices are still perceived as secondary, and their leadership can be seen as challenging established roles. This patriarchal structure limits their autonomy and effective participation in decision-making spaces.

Added to this is low health and legal literacy. Many women and girls lack reliable and appropriate information about their rights, available health services, mechanisms for protection against gender-based violence (GBV), and referral channels. In rural areas, language barriers, isolation, and lack of schooling reinforce this information exclusion.

Economic constraints are another major obstacle. Poverty, financial dependence, and precariousness—including in prisons or in domestic work situations—reduce women’s ability to access care, report violence, or seek redress. Certain specific groups are particularly vulnerable: women living with HIV, adolescent domestic workers, women prisoners, and internally displaced women.

Furthermore, stigma, fear of reprisals, and the trivialization of GBV discourage reporting. Informal settlements are often preferred over holistic care and access to justice. Finally, geographical distance from health facilities, the cost of care, the lack of qualified personnel and, in some contexts, security or administrative constraints (particularly in prisons) limit effective access to services.

Despite these structural challenges, organizations are seeing significant progress.

Firstly, there has been a gradual strengthening of female leadership. More and more women and girls are participating in community dialogue forums, speaking out publicly, and engaging as community relays, mediators, or peer educators. Some now play leading roles in local advocacy efforts.

Awareness-raising activities (radio broadcasts, community dialogues, mass campaigns, interventions in markets or prisons) have contributed to a notable improvement in the level of information. Women are more aware of their rights and the services available to them, and adolescent girls are more likely to discuss topics that were once taboo, such as menstrual dignity, family planning, and GBV.

Another important step forward is the increase in the reporting and referral of GBV cases, reflecting greater trust in community and institutional mechanisms. Coordination between actors (community relays, health centers, local authorities, religious and traditional leaders) has improved, making the care chain more functional.

Finally, a gradual change in attitudes is noticeable. Local, traditional, and religious authorities, as well as male allies, are showing increasing openness to women’s participation. In some contexts, political will and the involvement of state authorities reinforce these dynamics.

In short, while obstacles remain deep-rooted and structural, feedback from CSOs shows that, thanks to strategic and local support, women and girls are gradually moving from being beneficiaries to becoming agents of change within their communities. Beyond individual changes, these dynamics are gradually influencing local governance mechanisms. Across several countries, Voix EssentiELLES now participates in health consultation frameworks, health center management committees, and municipal planning forums. Their presence helps to ensure that priorities such as combating GBV, accessibility of services, and reproductive health are included in local action plans and municipal budgets.

Focus 2030: Working closely with local communities, you are in a prime position to witness the difficulties faced by women and girls in accessing healthcare and essential services. With official development assistance falling rapidly and dramatically (-18% anticipated in 2025, or $40 billion), affecting international organizations, NGOs, partner countries, and programs promoting health and gender equality, are you already seeing concrete effects on the women and girls you support?

Christiane Yelibi: According to community organizations Voix EssentiELLES, the rapid and significant decline in official development assistance is already having concrete effects, both on the operational capacities of local structures and on the daily lives of the women and girls they support.

The first impact concerns the reduction in available resources. Several organizations report delays or reductions in funding, leading to the limitation or even cancellation of certain activities: mass awareness campaigns, radio broadcasts, training, safe spaces, post-intervention follow-up, psychosocial support, and advocacy actions.

Follow-up activities, which are essential for consolidating gains, are often the first to be compromised. Territorial coverage is declining, particularly in remote or highly vulnerable areas. Some organizations are struggling to maintain the regularity of community interventions and are having to rely more on volunteers, which is putting additional pressure on their teams.

The decline in funding also creates institutional uncertainty: difficulty in long-term planning, expanding activities to new areas, or maintaining guidance and referral services. For organizations that are already financially fragile, this budgetary contraction directly threatens the continuity of the achievements built up over the years.

On the ground, women and girls are the first to be affected. Several organizations report an increased risk of disruption in access to essential services, particularly when partner health structures themselves are subject to budget cuts.

This translates into:

• reduced access to free or subsidized services (prenatal consultations, sexual and reproductive health, support for survivors of GBV);
• more frequent shortages of essential supplies (contraceptives, post-rape kits, medicines, diagnostic tests, mosquito nets);
• a reduction in listening and psychosocial support services.

Adolescent girls appear to be particularly vulnerable. When resources become scarce, households prioritize subsistence spending, relegating specific needs such as reproductive health, violence prevention, and protection against early marriage to the background. The reduction in prevention activities in schools and communities increases the risks of early pregnancy, school dropout, and exposure to violence.

Economic empowerment programs are also affected. Without vocational training or income-generating activities, many women remain economically dependent, which limits their ability to access healthcare, file complaints when their rights are violated, or participate in decision-making spaces.

The contraction of international aid also has an impact on the ability of local actors to influence public policy. When funding becomes scarce, spaces for consultation, accountability mechanisms, and budget monitoring initiatives led by civil society are weakened. Without this citizen vigilance, however, gender equality priorities risk being relegated to the background in national and local budgetary decisions.

Despite this worrying context, CSOs highlight the growing determination of women and girls. Many are becoming more confident in speaking out, filing complaints, taking up positions in local bodies, or considering running for election. These advances demonstrate the impact of the investments made to date.

The current situation also reinforces the need for sustainable local solutions: diversifying partnerships, mobilizing national resources, strengthening community leadership, and advocating for direct, flexible, and sustainable funding for local organizations.

In short, the decline in aid is not an abstract threat: it is already resulting in concrete restrictions on access to services, a weakening of protection mechanisms, and a risk of worsening inequalities. However, the resilience of community organizations and the rise of women’s leadership offer essential levers for protecting and consolidating the gains made.

Focus 2030: In the areas where Voix EssentiELLES is deployed, can you give us specific examples showing how the participation of women and girls in the design and implementation of health initiatives concretely improves the consideration of their needs?

Christiane Yelibi: When women and girls participate in the design of health initiatives, the impact goes far beyond simply improving services. Their involvement helps identify obstacles that are not sufficiently addressed in public policy, directs investment towards real needs, and institutionalizes inclusive solutions in municipal and sectoral plans.