During International Women’s Day (March 8, 2026), Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré highlighted the importance of practical women’s empowerment through agricultural production.
Speaking to women involved in farming initiatives, Traoré said, “We will do everything so that those who want to produce can produce. Women’s empowerment is not just words. It must be practice.”
The comments were made in Komtoèga, Boulgou Province, where the government inaugurated a new eight-hectare vegetable production site for women. The project includes boreholes, irrigation systems, and access to agricultural equipment, aiming to enable year-round production of vegetables and condiments.
Traoré emphasized that empowerment must go beyond rhetoric, focusing instead on creating real economic opportunities. By providing land, water, and resources, women can increase their income, autonomy, and contribution to local food security.
This initiative aligns with broader government strategies introduced since 2022, which prioritize local production, economic sovereignty, and reducing reliance on imports. Women are central to these plans due to their pivotal role in rural agriculture and household food production.
The Komtoèga project could be a model for turning International Women’s Day celebrations into tangible development actions, offering women a platform to actively engage in agriculture and strengthen their economic independence.
