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A memorable group photo of the Ambassador Nesbitt with the Young Girls (Photo: Yacouba Soro/US Embassy)

Youth Leadership Development Program

In celebration of International Women’s Month, the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section organized a conference on ‘Women leadership development’ on Wednesday March 5, 2008. This conference,  which is designed for young girls from 10 to 18 years old particularly top of their grade levels,  gathered more than 130 participants including students, teachers, media professionals and school principals from 16 public, private and confessional High Schools in Abidjan. This conference was designed to empower and energize young girls.

The panelists were the US Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt, as well as other Embassy staff, including Aminata Coulibaly FSN of the year, Nicole Kasse from the Consular Section and Dr. Viviane Kouadio from the Health Unit.  Other panelists were  Maria Cecilia Icaro from the United Nations Organization in Cote d’Ivoire,  Angèle Gnonsoa from the Ivorian Minister and Parliamentarian Women Network, Hortense Dodo, an American Fulbright Professor, Louisa Bia Bi Tia from the Ministry of National Education, and Marie-Laure Kindo, President of the World Children Well-being Association.

After the welcome address form the DPAO Etta Toure, the panelists shared their rich and moving testimonies recounting their career as schoolgirls to current professional experts. The Ambassador shared her exciting experiences from childhood to the present, highlighting key events relating to her educational and professional achievements. Through a brief PowerPoint presentation, Maria Cecilia focused on leadership strategies, picking as models a few powerful women leaders who succeeded against odds. The other panelists also attracted the participants’ attention on leadership qualities in connection with both personal life and professional qualifications. The main message conveyed was a good leader should be characterized by humility, politeness, respect for one’s fellow human being, courage, hard work, self-confidence, determination, and moral integrity. The students were also told that being efficient leaders also implies moral and physical health.  Dr. Kouadio emphasized the risks and dangers of unprotected sex, as well as the importance of abstinence for your young people.              

At the end of the event, the girls expressed appreciation and requested follow up activities involving young audiences.  To promote non-violence and conflict prevention among youth, ; the IRC presented 130 copies of Nouveaux Horizons books - ‘The Anti-Defamation League’s Hate Hurts: How Children Learn and Unlearn Prejudice’ and ‘The Civic Education Guide’ to the young girls. Ambassador Nesbitt, in her closing remarks congratulated the young girls and the panelists who contributed to the success of this memorable program.   A follow up activity is scheduled for April 9, 2008; the young participants will receive a book tilted “C’est le Moment ou jamais d’être une fille" from Mrs. Marie-Laure Kindo, President of the World Children Well-being Association, which is donating the books to the young girls.