Côte d’Ivoire: Friedrich Naumann Foundation calls for women’s alliances in decision-making

In Abidjan on October 23, 2026, Alexandra Heldt, West Africa regional director of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, called for stronger trust networks and alliances among women to increase their influence over public decisions. Speaking at a networking luncheon during the second edition of the Women’s Political Forum, she said that presence in assemblies and political parties is not enough: women must take part in shaping public policy and making decisions. She put women’s share of seats in Côte d’Ivoire’s National Assembly at 13–14%, compared with about 41% in Senegal, nearly 30% in Mali and Guinea, and 32% in Germany’s Bundestag. Around 40 participants from five countries had attended workshops the previous day on women’s rights, legal remedies, political communication, artificial intelligence, disinformation, and online harassment.