Khadijah Aliyu Nigeria
In a historic moment for gender equality and youth empowerment, hundreds of adolescent girls from across West and Central Africa (WCA) converged in Dakar, Senegal, for the first-ever Regional Girls’ Summit.
The event was a powerful gathering that placed girls not at the margins, but at the centre of the conversation about their future.
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Organised by UNICEF and the Government of Senegal, the summit coincided with the International Day of the Girl Child.
It culminated in the adoption of the “Dakar Declaration and Program of Action for Girls in West and Central Africa.”
This landmark, girl-led document serves as a bold roadmap for action, demanding that leaders, policymakers, and communities translate promises into tangible progress for the region’s 75.5 million adolescent girls.
For decades, West and Central Africa have faced some of the world’s most entrenched challenges for adolescent girls from early marriage and gender-based violence to limited access to quality education and healthcare.
These issues have only been worsened by climate change, conflict, and economic instability.
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Yet, the summit was a space for optimism led not by policymakers, but by the very girls most affected.
“The statistics on girls’ well-being are the worst compared to any other region,”
said Gilles Fagninou, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
“But where there is a small opportunity for a girl, the return on investment for her community and her country is unparalleled.”
Unlike most regional forums, the Dakar Summit was not designed for girls it was designed by them.
Through national consultations held across 24 countries, a Girls’ Advisory Group shaped the agenda, selected the priorities, and even drafted key sections of the Declaration.
“What I expect is that all the laws passed in our countries will be translated into concrete actions for the protection of children,”
said Lelengda Tchakebera, a 16-year-old delegate from Togo.
From Equatorial Guinea, Isabel added,
“We want to be included when our history is written because our voices matter.”
Maimouna Dièye, Senegal’s Minister of Family and National Solidarity, described the gathering as “an unprecedented partnership with girls,” adding that the Dakar Agenda would be “carried by girls, for girls.”
The Dakar Declaration outlines six key priority areas, aligning with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action and the African Union’s Agenda 2063:
Right to Education: Ensuring inclusive and safe access to quality learning for all girls.
Right to Health and Well-being: Guaranteeing confidential, affordable, and girl-friendly health services.
Right to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH): Promoting safe and dignified sanitation facilities while reducing the burden of water collection on girls.
Right to Protection: Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, with a legal marriage age of 18, and enforcing strict laws against gender-based violence.
Right to Participation and Information: Empowering girls to take active roles in governance and safeguarding them from online harassment.
Climate Action: Recognising that the climate crisis disproportionately affects girls and calling for their inclusion in environmental decision-making.
From Pledges to Action
High-level leaders echoed the girls’ demands for concrete action.
Omar Abdi, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, cautioned that the declaration must not become another idle document.
“We must not leave this meeting and return in two years to start over,” he said.
“We need clear, measurable progress.”
Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, represented by the Minister of Family and Solidarity, pledged that his government would form a reflection committee to ensure the Dakar Declaration is implemented and shared widely, calling it “a binding roadmap, not a ceremonial statement.”
These commitments drew applause from the young delegates.
“They really listened,” said Shekina from Congo Brazzaville. “Once I return home, I’ll keep raising awareness so that every girl knows her rights.”
Sampson W. Tweh (17) from Liberia added, “The summit made me realise that we boys are not supporters of girls — we are their allies.”
A New Era of Girl-Led Transformation
The Regional Girls’ Summit was more than just a meeting — it was a declaration of intent from a generation refusing to wait for change.
The Dakar Declaration and Program of Action now stands as a living document, demanding funding, accountability, and political will.
As one participant boldly summarised during the closing session:
“We are not the future — we are the present. Girls’ rights cannot wait.”
From Dakar, a new movement has begun — one where adolescent girls lead the charge for equality, justice, and transformation across Africa.