As part of the Erasmus+ funded Ulysseus NEEMA project, a curriculum on food and nutritional resilience is being developed, to be taught in the participating West African universities.

Ulysseus is a European university alliance formed by eight universities from different parts of Europe. It promotes long-term transnational cooperation in education, research, innovation, and societal engagement. The West African universities in the project are situated in four countries: in Burkina Faso they are in Ouagadougou and Dindéresso, in Mali near the capital Bamako, in Niger in Niamey and Tahoma, and in Senegal in the capital area in Dakar.

Through training professors, decision-makers, and other stakeholders, NEEMA-activities enhance the capacity of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to become changemakers for sustainable development, including improving gender equality issues.

West African women need support to be able to reach their potential

The road to gender equality is still under construction, especially in Western Africa. Approximately one third of the population in the whole of Africa lives in West African countries, summing up to a population of around 300 million, of which half are women. According to the United Nations Gender Inequality Index (2022), West African countries rank among the lowest in gender equality, for example Nigeria being 189th, Mali 188th, Burkina Faso 184th and Senegal 169th out of the 193 countries ranked.

Systemic inequalities, lack of representation, and limited access to resources prevent women and girls from reaching their full potential. To help improve the situation, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) puts a focus on ending all forms of discrimination against women and girls, ensuring full participation in decision-making, and promoting equal access to economic resources, land ownership, and technology. (United Nations 2023.)

The gender equality and empowerment module by Haaga-Helia

Based on Neema created country reports analysing situations in the participating West African countries, Haaga-Helia is developing a course module on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.

To include the goals of SDG 5 and help empower women and girls in the participating countries the Haaga-Helia developed module ‘Gender equality: Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls’ will focus on the psychological dimensions of empowerment, with a focus on identity, values, and self-knowledge. This builds a basis providing women and girls methods to gain confidence and take control of their lives.

Through hands-on activities, like creating a personal strength map, students are encouraged to identify their own unique skills and values — a process that builds confidence and prepares them to support others in doing the same. During the module students explore work-life skills and future career goals, learning to recognize the value of experiences gained.

The interactive and reflective approach encourages students to think broadly about where their strengths and skills come from — not only formal education, but also experiences from home, community, and personal interests.

Co-created course content soon on Ulysseus Online learning platform

The NEEMA Food and Nutrition Resilience Curricula will in total include seven modules, co-created by both European and African universities. Currently the module descriptions and contents are being accredited by the participating universities in West Africa. The aim is that the modules together will create a joint certificate for the participants.

The next step is to transfer the course contents and learning materials to the Ulysseus Online learning platform, where it will be accessible to all participants.

Discussing pedagogical approaches and learning methods together with colleagues from other universities in Europe and West Africa has been an inspirational and an interesting learning experience.

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