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In 2021, the African Union adopted 15 policy demands from rural African women championed through years of GIPS/WAR-led advocacy.
Group for Initiatives for Social Progress/West Africa Region
Group for Initiatives for Social Progress/West Africa Region
Le Groupe d'Initiatives pour le Progrès Social/WAR (GIPS/WAR)
Thiès
GIPS/WAR is a women’s rights organization based in Senegal working to advance the economic, social, and cultural rights and leadership of women in both rural and urban communities. Through training, advocacy, and community-based programming, the organization promotes women’s leadership, strengthens access to resources, and supports efforts to end gender-based violence and inequality.
Partner Focus Areas
Women’s leadership, education, and political participation
Ending gender-based violence
Rural women’s economic participation and land rights
Food security, health, water, and environmental sustainability
Partnership Highlights
Partner since 2014
Collaboration with WLP at UN Climate Change Conferences
Family law and land rights advocacy and research
Training on women’s leadership and anti-violence strategies
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About GIPS/WAR
Founded in 2004 in Thiès, Group for Initiatives for Social Progress/West Africa Region (GIPS/WAR) is a women-led organization rooted in rural and community-based organizing advancing women’s leadership, economic autonomy, and environmental sustainability across Senegal. With a strong membership base and broad community partnerships, GIPS/WAR works to strengthen the rights of rural and urban women through advocacy, training, and community-based development initiatives.
Dedicated to gender justice, climate resilience, and food sovereignty, GIPS/WAR focuses particularly on women’s land rights, sustainable agriculture, and natural resource management. The organization supports women farmers in gaining access to land, improving environmentally sustainable farming practices, and participating more fully in local, national, and international decision-making processes related to land, climate, and development policy.
As Senegal faces growing challenges linked to environmental degradation, flooding, and rapid urbanization, GIPS/WAR works to build community resilience while expanding opportunities for women and girls to lead within their communities. Its programs combine technical support, leadership training, political participation initiatives, and gender-based violence prevention efforts to strengthen women’s social, economic, and civic participation across the region.
Since joining Women’s Learning Partnership in 2014, GIPS/WAR has integrated WLP methodologies into its leadership trainings, advocacy campaigns, and community organizing programs. Working primarily in French and local languages, the organization has strengthened women’s leadership and amplified community-based advocacy efforts throughout Senegal and West Africa.
Through its leadership in the Kilimanjaro Initiative and related regional campaigns, GIPS/WAR has helped elevate the voices and priorities of rural women on continental and global platforms, contributing to greater recognition of women farmers’ rights and climate justice concerns within African Union land and environmental policy discussions.
A group of women convene in Thies, Senegal, for an event during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.
Key Accomplishments
- Strengthened women’s participation in climate justice advocacy by training rural women and youth across multiple agro-ecological zones to engage in COP-related processes and environmental decision-making.
- Organized intergenerational leadership and agricultural training programs that combine climate resilience, food production, and women’s rights advocacy.
- Led advocacy through the Kilimanjaro Initiative that contributed to the African Union's adoption of 15 policy demands advanced by rural African women.
- Supported national legal reforms increasing penalties for sexual violence, following sustained advocacy and public awareness campaigns.
- Hosted a major Community Innovation Conference in Thiès, bringing together civil society organizations to promote rural women’s leadership in climate action and poverty reduction.
- Launched an Integrated Farm Project supporting sustainable agriculture, women’s land rights, and economic participation through climate-smart farming practices.
- Represented rural women farmers at African Union forums, advocating for gender-responsive trade and agricultural policies.
- Expanded access to WLP educational materials by translating and broadcasting leadership documentaries in local languages, including Wolof.
- Built digital and community-based advocacy capacity for rural women during COVID-19, connecting participants through mobile networks for leadership and rights education.
- Delivered leadership training in schools for adolescent girls, strengthening civic engagement and educational outcomes in rural communities.
Organizational Programs and Activities
- Women’s Leadership and Political Participation: Conducts leadership trainings, research, and advocacy on women’s political participation at local, national, and regional levels. It organizes Training-of-Trainers (TOT) programs using WLP curricula and works with diverse communities across Senegal and West Africa to strengthen women’s representation in decision-making spaces.
- Climate Justice and Sustainable Agriculture: Promotes climate resilience through sustainable farming, land restoration, and environmental protection initiatives. Programs focus on supporting rural women farmers with agricultural training, biodiversity restoration, and natural resource management.
- Economic Justice and Food Security: Supports women’s economic independence through micro-gardening, small-scale farming, and income-generating agricultural projects. These initiatives aim to strengthen food security while increasing household income for rural women.
- Ending Violence Against Women: Conducts advocacy, awareness campaigns, and community education to prevent gender-based violence and support survivors. It integrates WLP methodologies into trainings on violence prevention and women’s rights.
WLP’s partner in Senegal, GIPS/WAR, organizes events and rallies to correspond with the worldwide 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence campaign.
About Senegal
Senegal has a long tradition of civic engagement and community leadership, with civil society playing a central role in shaping public life. While progress has been made in areas such as education and political participation, social and economic inequalities continue to limit access to opportunity for many, particularly women and marginalized groups. And although women have made gains in political representation, they continue to face economic disparities, harmful social practices, and uneven access to resources.
Women’s rights organizations, rural women’s networks, and civil society advocates continue to play an important role in advancing inclusion, leadership, and civic participation. Their efforts remain central to strengthening democratic engagement, promoting gender equality, and expanding access to resources and opportunity.
- Population: 19.1 million
- Region: Western Africa
- Government: Presidential Republic
- Women in Parliament: 41.2%
- Female Labor Force Participation: 38%
- Key issue: Expanding women’s political and economic participation while addressing child marriage and unequal access to resources.
How can a woman who lives in her village, because she is a woman, have no right to land, inherit no land, and not even have a space to cultivate to live?