By Assan Bah
The Gambia Government, through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, on Wednesday launched the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Plus (SWEDD+) Project — a $25 million World Bank-funded initiative aimed at addressing key developmental challenges by empowering women and girls.
The five-year project, launched in 2020, seeks to improve access to reproductive, maternal, and child health services, reduce early pregnancies, and increase the financial autonomy and income-generating capacity of adolescent girls and young women.
Implementation will be led by the Ministry of Gender, in partnership with the Ministries of Health, Youth and Sports, and Basic and Secondary Education, as well as United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations.
Speaking at the launch, Fatou Kinteh, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Welfare, said the SWEDD+ project reflects the government’s commitment to investing in human capital and forming strategic partnerships that advance gender equality. “This project covers diverse areas of development aligned with our National Development Plan. The intervention areas have been carefully selected to build the capacity of our girls and young women for economic growth,” she said.
World Bank Country Representative Franklin Mutahakana described the project as a “significant milestone” in their joint efforts to empower young women across The Gambia. “The SWEDD+ project is a $25 million grant — a testament to our shared commitment to foster gender equality and enhance the socio-economic landscape for girls and young women,” he noted.
In his official launch statement, Vice President Muhammed B.S. Jallow described SWEDD+ as more than a project, calling it “a national obligation and a regional promise.” He stressed: “No country can prosper when half of its population is held back. No society can claim to be inclusive when its girls are left behind. The launch of this project is not just a pronouncement — it is a national declaration that the era of leaving girls behind is over.”
SWEDD+ aims to accelerate the empowerment of adolescent girls and young women, improve reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) services, and strengthen gender equality and social protection systems across West Africa and the Sahel.
Among the key components of the project are the establishment of safe spaces for adolescent girls, providing mentorship, psychosocial support, and access to life skills education in nurturing environments that promote self-esteem and informed decision-making.
The initiative will also roll out a Small Grant Scheme targeting adolescent girls and young women from vulnerable households. These grants will help beneficiaries continue their education or enroll in vocational and entrepreneurial training programs to gain critical skills and financial independence.
Another major component involves re-entry support for girls who drop out of school due to early pregnancy or marriage, enabling them to return to formal education and break cycles of poverty and exclusion.
The SWEDD+ Project is part of a broader regional strategy to harness the demographic dividend in the Sahel by investing in women and youth as drivers of sustainable development.
