Introduction

Equitas has been working in French-speaking Africa since 1994, where we have implemented several human rights training programs, particularly in the area of women's and girl's rights. The democratic landscape of human rights in French-speaking Africa has greatly evolved in the last decade. The opening up of democracy during the 1990s has helped to stir up civil society. A great variety of NGOs dedicated to the promotion and defense of social, economic and cultural rights has emerged. Without a doubt, civil society has become an incontrovertible actor in the socio-political dynamic of various African countries. To date, hundreds of NGOs have benefited from numerous training programs given by Equitas in the field, as well as from our International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP).