AGS 2023: Francophone Summit

About the Summit

The Francophone Adolescent Girls Summit took place in Man, Côte d'Ivoire, in 2023, following the inaugural Adolescent Girls Summit held in Monrovia, Liberia, in 2022. This Summit was part of the Educating and Empowering Girls initiative, funded by Global Fund for Children (GFC), which brought together seven local organizations from Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea working to promote girls' education and empowerment. The 2023 Summit built on lessons learned from the first English-language Summit, aiming to connect Francophone and Anglophone experiences in preparation for the second edition of the regional Adolescent Girls Summit in 2024.

The event brought together 30 adolescent girls and boys from Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea participating in GFC partner programs, providing a foundational space for adolescents to connect, share experiences, and explore solutions to challenges affecting adolescent girls in the region. It offered participants the opportunity to develop leadership skills, strengthen peer networks, and actively engage in discussions on issues directly impacting their lives.

The 2023 Francophone Summit specifically sought to expand participation, deepen engagement, and amplify the voices of adolescents across French-speaking African countries. It provided a platform for adolescents to lead discussions, shape the agenda, and take ownership of initiatives addressing critical issues, including gender-based violence, child marriage, female genital cutting, and access to education and leadership opportunities. The Summit contributed to strengthening a growing regional network of adolescent champions for gender justice and girls' rights across West Africa.

Opening ceremony of the 2023 Francophone AGS

Participants at the opening of the 2023 Francophone AGS in Man, Côte d'Ivoire

Summit Objectives

The 2023 summit was organized around five key objectives:

01

Create a platform for adolescent girls and boys to speak freely about barriers to girls' education

02

Strengthen adolescents and youth knowledge of their rights and the challenges facing girls' access to quality education

03

Foster intergenerational dialogue between adolescents and youth, community leaders, and policymakers

04

Develop concrete advocacy recommendations for improving girls' education in Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire

05

Build a committed network of adolescents and youth advocates for girls' education across the Mano River region

Summit Highlights

July 24, 2023 — Day 1

Participants arrived from across Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire for a warm welcome ceremony. Local authorities, AFMEF representatives, and community leaders officially opened the summit, setting the tone for four days of adolescents and youth-led dialogue. Adolescents introduced themselves and began building connections across national boundaries.

July 25, 2023 — Day 2

Thematic workshops explored girls' leadership and addressed the major barriers to girls' education, including child marriage, female genital cutting, sexual violence in schools, household poverty, gender-based violence, and cultural norms. Adolescent facilitators led small-group discussions, allowing participants to share personal experiences and collectively identify priorities for change.

July 26, 2023 — Day 3

An intergenerational dialogue panel brought young people face-to-face with parents, teachers, religious leaders, and government officials. Adolescents presented their perspectives with confidence and called on adults to listen and act. Radio advocacy activities allowed adolescents and youth voices to reach wider audiences beyond the summit venue.

July 27, 2023 — Day 4

The final day was dedicated to synthesizing the summit's key messages into a formal call to action. Participants voted on priority recommendations and presented them to stakeholders. The closing ceremony celebrated the strength and courage of adolescents and youth advocates and committed all parties to continued action.

Recommendations

Participants produced a set of concrete recommendations directed at different stakeholders:

Governments: Enforce laws against child marriage and allocate dedicated budgets for girls' education

Communities: Challenge cultural norms and practices that limit girls' access to schooling

Schools: Create safe, inclusive learning environments that retain girls through secondary education

Civil Society: Continue training girl advocates and amplifying adolescents and youth voices in policy spaces

Families: Prioritize girls' education equally alongside boys' and support girls to complete school

Looking Forward

The 2023 Francophone AGS demonstrated the power of adolescents and youth-led advocacy in the Mano River region. Participants left Man with new skills, new networks, and a renewed commitment to advancing girls' education in their communities.

"This summit gave us the space to speak and be heard. We are not just the future — we are the present, and we are ready to act."