Case des Jeunes Femmes

In Senegal, employment opportunities for women are financially and socially limiting. Aminata has concluded that the desperate need to improve a woman's economic condition can only be accomplished by transforming the perceptions and attitudes surrounding so-called "feminine" trades and "masculine" trades in the Senegalese society. Current programs established by NGOs and public authorities to promote revenue-generating activities for disadvantaged women focus on occupations that have traditionally been seen as "women-appropriate" tasks. Technical trade jobs that offer higher salaries are dominated by men and require qualifications that for most Senegalese women are impossible to obtain. Aminata's unique approach gives women professional skills to work in these more profitable, traditionally masculine trades. Aminata has created La Case des Jeunes Femmes to organize both theoretical and practical training sessions for women looking to enter male-dominated fields. La Case des Jeunes Femmes works to train and encourage young women to enter these trades and invests time and continued support to those already employed. Aminata has also organized a common area where young girls can gather to discuss problems and work together to develop adequate solutions. Aminata's initiative contributes notably to the increased revenue generation among young women and helps reintegrate single mothers, former prostitutes, and high school dropouts into the working world. Aminata also lobbies public authorities and local and international organizations to consider young girls when creating policies that may facilitate their access to these particular trades.