Stories
Engaging men in health and household decision-making
March 9, 2026
AD_BREAD
WP_Term Object
(
[term_id] => 2025
[name] => Stories
[slug] => all-stories
[term_group] => 0
[term_taxonomy_id] => 2025
[taxonomy] => news-category
[description] => Discover the personal stories of people whose lives have been impacted by better nutrition, and those working tirelessly to deliver it, and what’s top of mind for our technical experts as they share the latest on cutting-edge nutrition research, policy updates, and implementation guidance.
[parent] => 0
[count] => 343
[filter] => raw
)
Story
Expanding women’s leadership in local health systems
Through targeted leadership training, frontline health workers in Senegal are moving beyond service delivery to influence municipal health and nutrition decisions.
Posted on March 9, 2026
In many rural areas of Senegal, women who work at the heart of communities — midwives, traditional birth attendants, community health workers — play an essential role in providing nutrition and health services, especially preventive and educational ones. Still, despite their proximity to the population and their detailed knowledge of local realities, their voices are often left out of decision-making spaces. Social norms, low institutional recognition and limited leadership skills weaken their influence, siloing their role to execution, when they could be helping to guide local choices and priorities.
It was in this context that Ansata Seydi, a health worker and midwife in Nyanga, in the Kolda region, practiced her profession. Deeply committed, she supported women, adolescents and families in their health journey, especially in matters of reproductive health and nutrition. Like many women working closely with communities, she is familiar with the realities women and girls in rural communities can face, particularly when it comes to health emergencies and gender inequality. However, despite her expertise in the field, Ansata did not see herself as a confident leader capable of influencing decisions or challenging local authorities. Her commitment remained discreet, confined to the community sphere.
“Before, I did my work, but I didn’t see myself as a female leader. I didn’t have the tools or the confidence to address the authorities or speak in formal settings,” she says.
Through the women’s leadership program of the Integrated Nutrition and Gender Project in Senegal (PINGS) — implemented by Nutrition International, in collaboration with the Senegalese Women’s Council (COSEF) and the School of Oratory Arts (EAO), and made possible with support from the Government of Canada — Ansata got access to training, coaching and retreats designed for working women who are very often held back by social norms, a lack of recognition or a lack of appropriate tools. Once enlisted, the modules on leadership, human rights, communication and activism, reinforced by local support through coaching, communities of practice and retreats, gradually transformed her relationship with herself, her professional environment and local decision-making bodies.
“Thanks to training and coaching, my way of thinking and acting has changed profoundly. Today, I recognize myself as a female leader, not in words, but through concrete actions,” she explains.
This personal transformation is not just theoretical. It quickly translates into taking initiative and an enhanced ability to engage with local authorities. Ansata engages in structured exchanges with the district administrator, the mayor, and members of the Nyanga municipal council. She participates in discussions on community budgeting and budget guidelines, and for the first time, she confidently and clearly puts forward the health and nutrition needs of women, adolescents and young people.
“The tools I acquired through PINGS and COSEF gave me the confidence and legitimacy I needed to conduct structured advocacy with the authorities,” she points out.
Following these steps and thanks to her advocacy, the municipality of Nyanga has committed to building a space for adolescents at the health centre, as well as new health centres, some of which are already under construction. These advances have tangibly improved access for the population, particularly women and young people, to health services that are more appropriate, more accessible, and more responsive to their needs.
But Ansata’s story is not an isolated exception. Across the five regions covered by PINGS — Kaffrine, Kédougou, Kolda, Sédhiou and Tambacounda — other women who have followed the same program have had similar experiences. Midwives, traditional birth attendants, community health workers and association leaders have also gained confidence, renewed legitimacy, and influence. Many have strengthened their communication with communities, improved the quality of services offered, launched local advocacy initiatives, or taken on new leadership roles within their organizations and communities.
By investing in these women who were already agents of change, PINGS helped to foster female leadership that is rooted in everyday life, close to communities, and capable of transforming local practices, relationships and decisions. These transformations, multiplied across several municipalities and regions, point to a broader change: beyond executing, women are actively participating in guiding, influencing and improving responses to nutrition and reproductive health issues.
This collective movement would not have been possible without the quality of the partnership between national and local actors, and support from the Government of Canada, whose financial support has helped create the conditions for lasting change, driven by women themselves. In Nyanga, as elsewhere, the PINGS leadership program has made it possible to move from silent commitment to recognized influence, serving the wellbeing of communities and future generations.
Learn more about our work in Senegal.
Share
