Women have been historically excluded from taking communal leadership positions in Niger, but that didn’t stop Aïssatou Adamou from pursuing her aspirations of becoming a leader in her community. Under her leadership, the social cohesion among different groups in the Tillabéri commune is strengthening. 

Aïssatou Adamou, a Kagalo leader, became a councilor in her commune.

Adamou developed leadership skills by participating in training focused on leadership, management, and public speaking offered through Counterpart’s Empowered Women for Change, or Kagalo, project, which is funded by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

Elected as a municipal councilor, Adamou holds several leadership positions as part of her role as a local elected official, including department president of the Elected Women of the Tillabéri Region and president of the Cultural-Social Affairs Commission for the Promotion of Women and Protection of Children.  

As part of the Nigerien National Action Plan 2’s Women, Peace, and Security effort in Tillabéri, Adamou took part in Kagalo’s implementation training, as well as peacebuilding training through the High Authority for Peacebuilding in Niger. 

She now trains other local women in Tillabéri on how women can play an important role in peacebuilding and conflict resolution on the local level. Her efforts have made a positive impact in strengthening social cohesion and peacebuilding between local women and the population of internally displaced persons forced to take refuge in Tillabéri.  

She is also in direct contact with Niger law enforcement and security forces, taking advantage of meetings with those institutions to communicate her community’s concerns and priorities. 

Adamou is well-equipped to represent Niger and Kagalo women, as an example of women leaders’ inclusion in politics.