COMMAN-YA : 7 Years of Commitment to Women's Empowerment in Côte d'Ivoire

On January 8, 2026, at its headquarters, COMMAN-YA—the Ivorian organization dedicated to women’s empowerment hosted a workshop titled “COMMAN-YA : 7 Years a Review.” This event marked COMMAN-YA’s seven years of commitment to sustainable women’s entrepreneurship in Côte d’Ivoire.

The workshop brought together beneficiaries, institutional and technical partners, and private-sector stakeholders. It provided a forum for sharing experiences, hearing testimonials, and engaging in strategic reflection on the achievements and challenges of the Business Academy.

Seven Years of Structured Support for Women Entrepreneurs

Since its founding, COMMAN-YA has established itself as a key player in women’s economic empowerment. We start from a key observation: the majority of women entrepreneurs operate in the informal sector. Their businesses struggle to become more structured and achieve sustainable growth. Through the Business Academy, we have been supporting women since 2018 in launching, structuring, and growing their entrepreneurial projects.

COMMAN-YA’s approach is based on four fundamental pillars : a holistic, personalized, community-based, and empowering approach. These pillars aim to remove the social, economic, and personal barriers faced by women entrepreneurs.

Concrete and Measurable Results

Over the past seven years, approximately 90 direct beneficiaries have been supported through incubation programs. These programs, ranging in duration from 3 to 9 months, cover key topics. Among these are business management, women’s leadership, financial planning, administrative structuring, and sustainable growth.

The follow-up study presented at the workshop reveals significant impacts. We observed improvements in :

• business strategy and marketing;

• governance and internal management;

• human resources management;

• finance and accounting.

  
  

The beneficiaries operate in a variety of sectors. These sectors range from wellness to agri-food, including digital technology, education, business services, and healthcare. This underscores the need for support tailored to sector-specific realities.

Testimonials from Beneficiaries and Future Prospects

The testimonials highlighted the programs’ impact on participants’ personal and professional lives. For one beneficiary, “speaking in public to concisely present her company and its activities” was a major achievement. Another emphasized that “the program gave us a boost on every level.”

This session, moderated by Hosanne YATCHOU, Business Development Manager, and opened by Pervenche ALIMAN, Executive Director of COMMAN-YA, also provided an opportunity to discuss future directions. We discussed strengthening post-program follow-up, which was identified as a strategic priority. This will allow us to measure the long-term impact and adjust future initiatives accordingly.

A Commitment Supported by Trusted Partners

The event was graced by the presence of numerous partners. Among them were France Volontaires, the Embassies of Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands, the EUMC, Belluci, Carrefour International, the AWI Foundation, the Honorary Consul of Estonia, Forvis Mazars, Atlantic Group, #RSE, CEWA Magazine, as well as several beneficiaries.

Through this seven-year review, COMMAN-YA reaffirms its commitment to continuing and strengthening its work. We are convinced that women’s empowerment is a powerful driver of sustainable economic and social development.

Conclusion

This workshop was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our successes and reflect on the challenges ahead. Together, we will continue to move forward. We firmly believe that every woman has the potential to become a leader. That is why we remain committed to supporting their entrepreneurial journey.

A look back at the event in photos :