Abidjan, July 11, 2025  – The President of the Ivorian Senate, Mrs. Kandia Camara, announced on Thursday, July 10, 2025, during the meeting of the Network of Women Parliamentarians at the 50th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) in Paris, that Côte d’Ivoire will host the next meeting of the Network of Women Parliamentarians in 2026, either in Abidjan or Yamoussoukro.

The President of the upper house of the Ivorian Parliament described the upcoming meeting on Ivorian soil as excellent news, highlighting Côte d’Ivoire’s attractiveness, which she attributed to the leadership of the President of the Republic, the climate of peace and security, and the warmth of the Ivorian people.

“Everyone knows Ivorians are welcoming. We proved it again recently during the CAN of hospitality. The next meeting of the Network of Women Parliamentarians will truly be a celebration of hospitality,” she emphasized.

The Paris session of the Network of Women Parliamentarians addressed major themes such as education, training, the fight against violence against women, and women’s representation in decision-making spheres. It featured the presentation of reports, communications, and draft resolutions.

At the end of the session, the President of the Senate praised the quality of the exchange platform, which allowed participants to share their experiences.

She also highlighted the significant progress made by Côte d’Ivoire in promoting women’s rights, made possible thanks to the leadership of President Alassane Ouattara.

She particularly emphasized the adoption of laws in favor of gender parity, the requirement of at least 30% female representation in elected assemblies, and the growing presence of women in high-level positions across all sectors.

Mrs. Camara also stressed the importance of girls’ education and women’s literacy, while encouraging training and capacity building to improve women’s access to political and economic life.

She was accompanied at the meeting by Ivorian Senator Baflan Laure, née Donwahi, a member of the APF Network of Women Parliamentarians’ executive board, as well as MP Yao Patricia Silvie.

Senator Baflan noted that holding the 2026 meeting of the Network of Women Parliamentarians in Côte d’Ivoire would be a valuable opportunity to discover the country, exchange views, and potentially lay the groundwork for the adoption of common legislative texts.

Created in 2002, the Network of Women Parliamentarians aims to promote greater participation of women in political, economic, social, and cultural life, both nationally and across the Francophone world.

The President of the Ivorian Senate also took part in a socio-cultural visit organized in honor of the presidents of parliamentary assemblies.