Dominique Ouattara, the First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, champions the right of children to access health and education—putting children and families first has been a long-term commitment for her.
In 1998, Ms Ouattara created the Children of Africa Foundation, which has supported several projects in Côte d’Ivoire, including the construction of a school and immunization campaigns. In 2011, she was named President of the National Monitoring Committee on Actions to Fight Trafficking, Exploitation and Child Labor. She launched the Support Fund for the Women of Côte d’Ivoire in 2012 to finance women-led micro-projects to facilitate financial empowerment and encourage entrepreneurship among women.
In her role as UNAIDS Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission and the Promotion of Paediatric Treatment for HIV, Ms Ouattara builds awareness of the need for women and children living with HIV to access antiretroviral therapy and to help to ensure that children are born free from HIV.
Recognizing that many barriers to health and education involve stigma and discrimination, Ms Ouattara is a strong advocate for zero discrimination.
