of equipment, either one after the other or simultaneously. It is equipped with (grain mills,
huskers, battery chargers, oil pressing machine, crushers, dryers, saws, water pumps with or
without overhead water tanks and/or water distribution systems, a mini-electrical network
made up of bulbs;
Implementation of the programme “for an effective protection of young girls” in 20 villages of
the department of Tillabéry. This programme provides support for 400 young girls excluded
from the school system or who have dropped out of school with the financial backing of an
NGO - PLAN NIGER and such productive activities are targeted at market gardening, feeding
of livestock, retail trading and sewing.
277. At the social level, in order to promote change of mindset and social prejudices among Nigerien
young girls and women, progress has also been made and they include, among others:
Continuation of the implementation of the Female Adolescents Initiative dubbed “ILLIMIN”.
Through safe learning spaces, knowledge in life skills, reproductive health and family
planning (RH/FP) is imparted to these young teenagers to ensure a responsible fertility
management and to also lend support to a favourable community environment by involving
the community in the fight against child marriages and early pregnancies;
As part of the implementation of the Sahel Regional Women’s Empowerment and
Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD), the Future Husbands Clubs have been initiated and
the aim is to develop the knowledge and skills of young boys in sexual and reproductive health
and positive attitudes on gender relationships in the five (5) regions of Niger, namely
Tillabéry, Dosso, Tahoua, Maradi and Zinder. The project has targeted 10 000 young boys
(whose ages fall between 15 and 24 years, and who are not yet married or have dropped out of
school or are not attending school) by establishing 800 clubs over a period of three (3) years.
278. At the legal level, the government is continuing with its efforts, particularly with the passage by
the National Assembly of Law No. 2017-22 of 21 August 2017 on the ratification of the Status of the
Organization for the Development of Women in the Member States of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) and the design of the module “Islam, Family Planning and Human Rights”.
279. In order to improve women’s representation in decision-making bodies, Niger has launched an
upward review of the law on quotas by increasing elective positions from 15% to 25% and appointed
positions from 25% to 30%.
280. Concerning the fight against gender-based violence, measures have been taken to address the issue,
especially by:
Adopting a National Prevention and Response Strategy to Gender-Based Violence in 2017
including its Five-Year Action Plan 2017-2021 aimed at reducing the prevalence rate of
gender-based violence in Niger from 28.4% to 15.4% by 2021; this has contributed to the
operationalization of Strategic Pillar 2 of the National Gender Policy (PNG) revised on 10
August 2017: “Strengthening the institutional and legal framework conducive to the effective
implementation of the rights of women and young girls and to the fight against gender-based
violence and the equal participation of men and women in the management of power;
Instituting a new initiative dubbed “Spotlight Initiative” aimed at eliminating all types of
violence perpetrated against women and girls in Niger, with a special focus on sexual and
sexist violence including harmful practices and their linkage with sexual and reproductive
health, with the support of the European Union. For the first phase 2019-2020, the actions will
be targeted at the four regions with the highest GBV prevalence rates, namely Maradi, Tahoua,
Tillabéry and Zinder;
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