Promoting the Economic Empowerment of Women

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), in partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MCI) and other public and private partners in Côte d"Ivoire implements the project "Promotion de l'autonomisation économique des Femmes en Côte d'Ivoire (Promoting women's economic empowerment in Côte d'Ivoire; ProFemme)" between April 2024 and February 2027. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is implemented in partnership with the Côte d'Ivoire Ministry of Trade and Industry (MCI). For more than a decade, Côte d'Ivoire has been the country with the highest economic growth in West Africa. Yet, it is noteworthy that this economic growth is not very inclusive and that socioeconomic disparities persist in the labour market. Particularly women do not equitably benefit from this economic growth, as the employment rate of women in the country remains low and women experience discrimination in the labour market. If women do work, they are often employed on an informal basis and under precarious employment conditions. The current culture does not enable women to reconcile work and family. Accordingly, the aim of the project "ProFemme" is to improve the economic participation of women in urban and peri-urban areas in Côte d'Ivoire. The project implements measures aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, employment and the creation of women-friendly workplaces for women. More specifically, the project is strengthening capacities of public institutions for advancing the economic empowerment of women. The aim is to enable them to align public policy strategies and support measures more effectively with women"s needs. Additionally, the project is improving the quality of services that promote entrepreneurship and employment-oriented training for women. It supports public and private organizations in creating awareness of women"s needs and taking these into account in their support programs. Lastly, the project is creating a better work environment for women. It raises awareness at local companies of the economic advantages of a more diverse workforce and supports them in introducing and implementing measures for managing gender diversity. GIZ, namely the project "ProFemme", is looking for a service provider to support the creation of women-friendly workplaces in Côte d"Ivoire through the introduction of Gender Diversity Management measures in companies active in Côte d"Ivoire. Gender diversity management (GDM) is based on the fact that companies benefit from the best talent, irrespective of gender, and that a diverse workforce leads to improved business outcomes for companies, such as better decision-making, higher levels of innovation and higher profits. GDM is therefore defined as a corporate function responsible for achieving gender diversity within a company and offers a structured approach towards equal employment opportunities for women and men in a company. GDM in Côte d"Ivoire is still in its early stages. Hence, in order to support women in reconciling work and family responsibilities and equitably participating in the Ivorian labor market, the project "ProFemme" aims to select local companies interested in introducing GDM in their companies and supporting them in the selection and implementation of specific GDM measures. In order to anchor the approach in the long run in the local ecosystem, close cooperation with local partners and a pool of local and regional consultants experienced in GDM is envisaged to lay the foundation for creating a market for GDM services for Ivorian companies as well as to establish local structures for a dissemination of gender diversity management practices. Additionally, the service provider will offer short-term expertise on public policies aiming at women economic empowerment, female entrepreneurship and employment approaches destined to empower women in the labour market.