Women Independence Forum Festival (WIFF) is a festival dedicated to Mauritanian women. Organized since 2019 by the Assalamalekoum Cultures association, it focuses on various actions aimed at stimulating cultural innovation in Mauritania through its appropriation by independent focal points inside the country and in Africa through the promotion of transnational projects.
After a first edition advocating for the law on violence against women and for the popularization of women’s rights, the theme of the second edition focused on gender-based violence and the empowerment of women, the third edition focused on the importance of vocational training for women and for this fourth edition we want to focus on “Women’s entrepreneurship in the field of sustainable development, culture and citizenship”.
Objectives of the WIF 2021
This year, the WIFF will hold its 4th edition in Nouakchott from March 4 to 11, 2023.
Coordinated by Hawa Bâ Touré, an activist for women’s rights in Mauritania, the WIFF is a strong event that aims to be a militant response to the confinement of Mauritanian women to a domestic role and to a function of listening more than speaking out. WIFF offers solutions to the political, social and economic under-representation of women.
Thus, the objective of WIFF is to give women a voice by providing them with a space and appropriate tools to express themselves freely in public about their problems and the challenges they face every day. These are mainly:
• Strengthen the capacities of women in Mauritania, on issues of women’s rights, citizenship, leadership, in the fields of management, communication, audiovisual professions, etc.; ;
Organize information and education campaigns for citizens on the respect, security and assurance of their rights through a local awareness framework, particularly in a cultural context;
• Provide a platform for reflection and debate in response to current challenges in terms of women’s rights in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
Program du WIF 2023
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To meet the objectives set, the WIF 2023 program includes several training components:
• Launch of the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership Fair “SELF”
• Transformation of waste into biogas
• Transformation of waste (Paper and plastic)
• Urban agriculture on soil
• Launch of “Women Créative Market”, a village set up in a dedicated area to present local products to promote women’s crafts and promote cultural products and local know-how.
• “CULTUR’ART” competition: a competition organized under the high patronage of the European Union delegation in Mauritania, which will undertake to support 2 cultural projects led by enterprising women from vulnerable communities and minorities
• CONCERT :
• First part
• Dj SKYLEIA (France)
• NAYRA (France)
• COMAGATTE (Italy)
• LEILA MOULAYE (Mauritania)
• PLANE (Mauritania)
• JEMILA (Mauritania)
• MISSY HAGGA (Mauritanie)
Viviane CHIDID (Senegal)
Programme Women Independence Festival – 2 au 8 mars 2023
Date Activity Location Time
Day 1 – March 2
Screening/Debate – Women’s rights Maison Assalamalekoum 7:30 p.m.
Day 3 – March 4
Launch: Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership Fair “SELF” and Women Creative Market Espace Riyad 5 p.m.
Speech Opening Festival Olympic Stadium 7 p.m.
Concert: Olympic Stadium 8 p.m.-Midnight
Day 4 – March 5
Animation DJ SKYLEIA (France) Espace Riyad 5-7 p.m.
Round Table 1 – Labor Market Espace Riyad 7-8 p.m.
Round Table 2 – Gender Inequality Espace Riyad 8-9pm
Show Case – Concert Espace Riyad 9 p.m.-Midnight
Day 5 – March 6
Artistic creation workshop – Chitaari Woman Maison Assalamalekoum 3-8 p.m.
Round Table 3 – Challenge of Migration and Trafficking of Women Maison Assalamalekoum 6-7:30 p.m.
Meeting Discussion Networking Maison Assalamalekoum 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Day 6 – March 7
Launch: Training and Local Craft Market OMVS Park 10 a.m.
Performance Theater / Dance – Rewad El Mesrah Espace Riyad 5-5:30 p.m.
“Cultur’Art” competition Espace Riyad 6-7:30 p.m.
Closing ceremony of the “SELF” Espace Riyad 7:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
Espace Riyadh Fashion Show 8 p.m.
Day 7 – March 8
Women’s football tournament Cheikh BOIDIYA Stadium 10 a.m.
Closing Gala By invitation 6 p.m.
Day 10 – March 11
Closing ceremony of Maison Assalamalekoum training 11 a.m.
The Women Independence Forum Festival is an action of openness to freedom in respect, tolerance and social cohesion through information and awareness meetings on human rights and in particular women’s rights, through exchanges and dialogue, for lasting peace and security.
The WIF aims to open up social and economic opportunities for Mauritanian women in vulnerable communities and rural localities by transmitting the experiences of women from the city and other countries. It is the first artistic and cultural project that places Mauritanian women at the heart of the promotion of female entrepreneurship and aims to empower women and young girls.
The Women Indepedance Festival is one of the main components of the Heya Nouakchott, Tevragh-Zeina Ville Créative programme.
Hawa Bâ
Press Officer