Empowering women and girls in the fight against zoonotic diseases

This project aims to improve community health and equitable One Health empowerment for poor women and girls in areas with a high prevalence of zoonotic diseases in Burkina Faso and Senegal. Project activities include: (1) leading training workshops at the community level to improve screening for and diagnosis of zoonotic diseases; (2) supporting community based management of zoonotic diseases in humans and animals; (3) supporting the strengthening of surveillance prevention and control systems in place for the priority zoonotic diseases; (4) organizing intersectoral meetings of institutional stakeholders on the topic of One Health leadership and the participation of women in programs; (5) creating and supporting income generating activities for the most vulnerable women and girls; and (6) carrying out empowerment activities for women relating to the equitable control of household resources. The University of Montreal and the University of Guelph in cooperation with various local partners such as university institutions and civil society organizations are delivering this project.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved community practices and behaviours that support women and girls’ participation and decision making in the context of the “One Health” approach in the target areas; (2) enhanced effectiveness of the surveillance prevention and control systems for zoonotic diseases incorporating the issues of gender equality and the environment in the target communities; and (3) strengthened economic leadership of women and girls by protecting their livelihoods using a “One Health” approach in the target communities.