After two years, Solange Hien handed over to Marie Olga Sawadogo at the head of the Zonta Club of Ouagadougou. The handover ceremony was held on Saturday October 26, 2024, in Ouagadougou.
The outgoing president expressed her gratitude to the club members for their constant support during her mandate. She gave a positive assessment of the activities carried out during her mandate.
“During our tenure, we have carried out many activities. We celebrated the 103 anniversary of Zonta International with a conference. We organized the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. We carried out humanitarian actions by offering food and donations. We managed to get eight new Zontians to join,” indicated the outgoing president, Solange Hien.
A member of the Zonta club since 2003, the incoming president also wanted to thank the members of the Zonta Club of Ouagadougou for the trust placed in her by entrusting her with the position of president. In view of the responsibilities and challenges linked to this function, she expressed her desire to work with determination to advance the club.
Elected for a two-year term, Marie Olga Sawadogo unveiled a program focused on four main objectives, in line with the mission and vision of Zonta International.
“My objective is to contribute to improving the standard of living of poor women and girls by fighting against the violence against them, through advocacy and awareness-raising actions. Our priority will also be the establishment of statutory committees such as the affiliation committee, the service committee, the advocacy committee, as well as the nomination committee. We will emphasize knowledge of Zonta International, that is to say the missions, objectives, statutes, procedural manuals and internal regulations of our club,” she indicated.
In order to achieve their objectives, the new office plans in particular to carry out strong actions to promote gender equality, by intensifying campaigns against violence against women and by providing an influential voice at the local level.
She also wishes to develop new strategies to mobilize members while strengthening those already in place.
One of the other aspects of its program includes the implementation of innovative and income-generating activities in order to guarantee the sustainability of the club and support its long-term actions.
Finally, it intends to consolidate partnerships and strengthen advocacy in favor of women’s rights.
The ceremony was also marked by the installation of the 2024-2026 office, made up of six members, including the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer, accompanied by their respective assistants.
“In the early 1900s, women were not allowed to join the various clubs. This is how a group of women decided to come together to create an exclusively female club, giving birth to Zonta International. However, about 10 years ago, we began to welcome men into Zonta, because we realized that to effectively fight against violence against women, we should not remain only among women. (…) To join the club, simply contact a member who can sponsor you. And there is no age limit,” explained Dr Victoire Bénao, member of the Zonta Club of Ouagadougou.
As a reminder, Zonta International, which has existed for more than 100 years, is committed to improving the condition of women around the world, whether legally, professionally, politically, economically or health-wise.
Hanifa Koussoubé
Lefaso.net