• Côte d’Ivoire launches 5-year DICEFA program worth CFA28.5 bln ($51 mln)

• Initiative targets 105,000 households, 200 businesses, and 10,500 cooperatives

• Women expected to generate CFA50 bln in annual revenues from the program

Côte d’Ivoire has launched the first phase of the DICEFA program (Development of Women’s Initiatives and Economic Capacities for Empowerment), with a budget of more than CFA28.5 billion ($51 million). The announcement was made in a statement released on Saturday, September 20, 2025.

Running over five years, the program is set to support 105,000 households, create 200 women-led businesses, and assist 10,500 cooperatives in rural and peri-urban areas engaged in food production. It also integrates digital and technological solutions to improve production, processing, and marketing.

Once fully implemented, DICEFA is expected to generate about CFA50 billion in collective annual revenue for the women involved. Its structure rests on four key pillars: building and equipping 20 modern processing centers, integrating technology into food value chains, accelerating women-led agribusinesses, and creating a revolving fund to finance projects.

Women in Côte d’Ivoire continue to face barriers such as limited access to education, financing, land, decision-making roles, and the persistence of gender-based violence. To address these challenges, the government has rolled out other programs, including the Women’s Support Fund (FAFCI), the gender parity law, the World Bank-backed SWEDD initiative, and digital inclusion projects like the “Maisons Digitales” developed with the Orange Côte d’Ivoire Foundation.

As part of the rollout, women beneficiaries also received equipment valued at CFA1.5 billion to strengthen their production capacity and improve access to markets.