Published: October 20, 2025
DAKAR, Senegal – Imagine a place where the air hums not just with the vibrant energy of a West African capital, but with the fervent hopes and unshakeable determination of hundreds of young women. This was Dakar this past week, as Senegal played host to a truly historic gathering: the inaugural Regional Girls’ Summit for West and Central Africa. Far from a typical conference, this was an unprecedented moment where adolescent girls, not just for, but by and with them, took center stage, collectively forging a powerful declaration that promises to reshape their future.
As a representative of the African Media Network for the Promotion of Health and the Environment, I had the privilege of witnessing this profound journey unfold – a journey that began long before the delegates arrived at the elegant King Fahd Palace. It started with national consultations across 24 countries, meticulously gathering the priorities, dreams, and frustrations of girls in every corner of the region.
This groundwork ensured that when the summit opened its doors, it wasn’t just another meeting, but a culmination of countless voices, ready to speak their truth. The spark of expectation, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation on October 10th. Girls, some barely in their teens, gathered from diverse backgrounds, their faces a mix of nervousness and fierce resolve. Each carried a personal story, a silent testament to the challenges faced by the 75.5 million adolescent girls in West and Central Africa – limited education, poor healthcare, gender-based violence, early marriage, and the looming shadow of climate change.
But they also carried expectations, clearly articulated. Sixteen-year-old Lelengda Tchakebera from Togo voiced a common hope: “What I expect as an outcome is that all the laws passed in our different countries will be translated into concrete actions for an effective fight for the protection of children.” Isabel from Equatorial Guinea added a stirring plea: “We want to be included when our history is written, because our voices matter.”
From Guinea, young leader Fatoumata Binta, a campaigner against early marriage and FGM, expressed a universal desire: “I want people to listen to us, to take our needs into account and to respect us.” Even Aissata, representing children with disabilities, found her voice: “Inclusion, equal opportunities: the voice of children with disabilities counts!”
These weren’t just delegates; they were the architects of their own future, ready to lay down the foundations. Opening Doors, Opening Minds, the summit officially opened with a palpable sense of gravity and optimism. UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, set the stage with stark statistics, revealing that the region’s girls face some of the worst wellbeing outcomes globally. Yet, he offered a powerful counterpoint: “where there is a small opportunity for the girl, the return on investment for the community or country, for the region and for the world, has been unparalleled.” He challenged the summit to find ways to scale these small successes, to extend opportunities to all girls, everywhere.
Omar Abdi, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, then connected the local struggles to global conversations, notably the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action. He acknowledged progress but sounded an alarm about “gains stalling or even reversing” due to conflicts, aid cuts, and rising inequality. His words were a direct call to action, reminding everyone that investing in girls and women could unlock trillions for the global economy and lift millions out of poverty. “This summit belongs to you,” he declared, “And our role as governments, partners, and UNICEF is to listen so that your voices can guide us forward.”
Senegal’s Minister of Family, Social Action and Solidarity, Maimouna Dieye, extended a warm “TERANGA” welcome, underscoring her nation’s pride in hosting this groundbreaking event. She highlighted the “unprecedented partnership with girls” and the collective determination to build a “solid shield against all obstacles.” She spoke of Senegal’s existing National Girls Agenda and the profound symbolism of the summit taking place where, 30 years ago, African women forged their common position for Beijing. “Now is the time to accelerate our efforts,” she urged, reminding the audience of the over 74 million vulnerable yet extraordinarily capable girls in the region.
The theme for the International Day of the Girl, “The girl I am, the change I lead: girls on the front lines of change,” became the rallying cry. “Girls’ Rights Cannot Wait”: The Day One Declaration As the first day progressed, the energy in the working sessions was electrifying. Girls, alongside high-level officials and experts, debated, discussed, and distilled their priorities.
The essence of their collective demands was captured in an initial declaration: “Girls’ Rights Cannot Wait.” They identified six crucial areas for immediate acceleration, stemming from the national consultations: Making school just and inclusive for all, with scholarships, caring teachers, and life skills. Ensuring access to quality, confidential, and accessible health services. Protecting our planet, protecting our future, recognizing climate change’s direct threat. Urgent action to stop child marriage and FGM. Saying NO to gender-based violence with strong rules, real punishments, and justice. And crucial to all of this, including girls with disabilities everywhere.
These were not abstract concepts; they were demands born from lived experience. The girls made it clear: they are the best authorities in their own realities and insisted on being at the center of all decisions affecting them. As the first day drew to a close, the iconic African Renaissance Monument, a towering symbol of African pride, was bathed in a vibrant pink glow, a beacon of hope for the dreams of this new generation.
The Dakar Declaration: A Binding Roadmap for Change Day two was the buildup. Guided by the wisdom of children’s rights champions like Angélique Kidjo and Graca Machel, the girls refined their agenda, culminating in the “Dakar Declaration and Program of Action for Girls in West and Central Africa.” This wasn’t just a petition; it was a deeply researched document, anchored in international and continental frameworks, from the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the African Union Agenda 2063. It was, in their own words, a “declaration of hope, leadership and responsibility.”
The Declaration powerfully reiterated the girls’ ongoing concerns: limited education, insufficient health services, threats to physical and mental well-being, lack of safe spaces, corporal punishment, and the insidious digital risks of online harassment and misinformation. They spoke of the disproportionate impact of climate change and conflicts on their lives. Then, with firm clarity, they laid out their six fundamental rights and the urgent actions required: 1 Our Right to Education: Demanding equal, safe, inclusive, and quality education for all, including scholarships, alternative learning paths, rights education, financial literacy, technology skills, and continuous learning during crises. 2 Our Right to Health and Well-being: Calling for free or affordable, accessible, and confidential quality healthcare, especially sexual and reproductive health, and vital mental health support. 3 Our Right to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: Insisting on clean water, safe and private sanitation in schools, access to menstrual products, and reducing the burden of water collection. 4 Our Right to Protection: A resounding denunciation of FGM and child marriage (demanding the legal age be 18), condemning gender-based violence with strict laws, challenging discriminatory norms, ensuring inclusion for girls with disabilities, and protection in crises. 5 Our Right to Participation and Information: Pleading for awareness campaigns, reaching remote girls, protecting digital dignity, and active inclusion in all decision-making spaces. 6 Urgent Climate Action: Recognizing its devastating impact, they demanded to be included in climate action plans and provided resources to build resilience. Critically, the Declaration didn’t stop at demands. The girls also laid out their own commitments, pledging to prioritize education, raise their voices, use technology responsibly, support their male peers as models of positive masculinity, create mentoring networks, mobilize their communities, and work with governments to secure funding and annual reviews of progress.
Leaders Respond: A Binding Roadmap the closing ceremony was a moment of profound intergenerational dialogue. Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, through the Minister of Family and Solidarity, addressing the “dear young girls,” acknowledged their deep knowledge of challenges and solutions. He stressed the need for pragmatic, concrete action, reminding all present that there should be “no need to repeat, over the years, the same meetings to talk about the same problems, without finding effective, lasting or even definitive solutions.” In a powerful moment, Prime Minister Sonko made a “solemn commitment” to share the Dakar Declaration widely within his government, establish a reflection committee for its implementation, and called on all states and partners to treat it “not as a simple document, but a binding roadmap.” He conveyed President Faye’s congratulations and encouragement, urging girls to “be bold, be demanding, be the driving force behind the transformation of Africa.”
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell echoed this sentiment: “Today, girls from across West and Central Africa have told us what matters to them, the world must listen.” She pledged UNICEF’s readiness to work with all stakeholders to translate this agenda into “measurable change.”
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Omar Abdi encouraged the girls to continue networking, sharing ideas, and “telling them [governments and development partners] what they need to do better to help you.”
The Journey continues, echoes of hope as the summit concluded, the smiles and shared hugs spoke volumes. Shekina, a participant, reflected, “The statement that was read clearly shows that they took it into account. I was very happy to have participated in this Summit. Once in the country, I will continue to raise awareness and motivate girls.” Aissata, too, appreciated the Senegalese government’s commitment.
Perhaps one of the most significant shifts in mindset came from Sampson W. Tweh, a seventeen-year-old boy from Liberia. “The Summit made me understand that we boys are not supporters of girls but allies,” he declared. “It is one key message I am taking back home to share with my colleagues to change our mindset of how we see our female counterpart.” This newfound understanding of partnership is a crucial element in the journey towards true gender equality.
The First Regional Girls’ Summit in Dakar was more than an event; it was the launching pad for a powerful, girl-led movement across West and Central Africa. It demonstrated that when girls are given a safe space, a listening ear, and the support to articulate their demands, they become unstoppable agents of change. The Dakar Declaration is their legacy, a living document, and a profound promise. The real work of turning this promise into reality now begins in every village, town, and capital across the region. The world has listened; now, it must act.
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