Chaired by the lawyer and feminist activist Benedicta Aloakinnou, the Fondation des Jeunes Amazones pour le Développement (Young Amazons for Development) is an association of young women based in Benin. It currently has about twenty members and extends its field of action to about sixty communes in northern Benin.
THE REGIONAL CONTEXT
Women and girls in Benin suffer from deep social and economic inequalities.
This is particularly alarming in the northern department of Borgou, which has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in Benin.
In this region, most girls drop out of school as a result of bullying or rape and face forced marriages and early pregnancies.
RAISING AWARENESS AND TAKING ACTION ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
Created in 2017, the Fondation des Jeunes Amazones pour le Développement fights against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Benin by seeking to deconstruct misogynistic stereotypes.
Its fight is reflected in the implementation of varied and dynamic actions: community film-debate on female genital mutilation (FGM), awareness-raising workshops on gender-based violence (GBV), intervention on sexual education issues with girls and teenagers, etc. The association encourages interaction and speaking out in each of the meetings organised.
In addition to the work to combat SGBV, the Young Amazons of FJAD also offer training in female leadership to enable women to gain self-confidence, to free themselves from injunctions and to achieve their full potential.
FOCUS ON TRAINING MEMBERS IN VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT
Within the framework of Feminists in Action, the Fondation des Jeunes Amazones du Développement wishes to strengthen the skills of its members to better deal with cases of sexual and gender-based violence and to federate the actions of activists and actors in the judicial system. This is the project School of the committed against sexual and gender-based violence: “Free woman – allied man”.
The aim is to create a community of women and men capable of reacting effectively to GBV, to promote the appropriation of good legal practices for the success of complaints, to analyse the constraints linked to sexual and gender-based violence and to establish avenues for their elimination.
In concrete terms, the project aims to equip the 20 members of the association in the field of prevention and management of cases of gender-based violence, specifically SGBV, and to train them in legal follow-up. They will be able to accompany the denunciation procedure, be trained in the methodology of writing complaints and in interaction with the communities on case management.
The members who follow this training will be able to intervene effectively in the project as trainers and resource persons capable of intervening in other projects to fight against gender-based and sexual violence.
Finally, the young Amazons intend to engage magistrates, court officers and social workers by deconstructing their stereotypes and creating a community of action for all those involved in the chain of action against GBV.
Jeunes Amazones pour le Développement works to overcome inequalities and liberate Beninese women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence in order to help them reach their full potential. To find out more about the work of feminist CSOs around the world and to keep up to date with the progress of the Feminists in Action initiative, go to the News section.