Burkina Faso: Annick Laurence Koussoubé, feminist and STEM promoter

In Burkina Faso, Laurence Koussoubé, the President of FEMIN-IN, a Burkinabè feminist citizen’s movement, has been advocating for women’s rights for years. She is committed to eliminating gender stereotypes, inequalities, discrimination against women on the ground as well as on the web. Her work extends to various fields, including Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) where she promotes gender equality. Since 2019, she has been Ambassador of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) in Burkina Faso.

For several years, Annick Laurence Koussoubé has been actively working for the rights of women and young people in Burkina Faso, but she is also committed to promoting STEM. The Burkinabè proudly defines herself as a feminist. A word that means « action » for her. “I assume I am a feminist. For me, being a feminist activist means being actively involved in promoting gender equality and women’s rights,”she explained to Africa Women Experts. This commitment is inspired by her personal experience, but also by the testimonies of the women and girls she had met and who were victims of discrimination and injustice, she confides.

On the ground, she has carried out several actions on health, education, labour, policy…to defend women’s rights. “These initiatives have made it possible to improve the visibility of gender issues and to place the issue of gender equality at the centre of political debates, but also to enable many women and young girls to understand the merits of these actions and to commit themselves as well,”she said. Her greatest pride, she confides, is having set up the FEMIN-IN citizens’ movement, a feminist organization that is bringing about changes in the promotion of women’s rights in Burkina Faso.

In addition to working on the ground, she believes strongly in the power of cyber-activism in Africa, with regard to how several campaigns have helped demand justice for many victims in Africa. She has been involved in various social media campaigns for women on several occasions. « For me, both are important ways to advance social and political causes. Cyberactivism has proven itself today in Africa, as it has enabled African women and girls to make their voices heard,”she told Africa Women Experts.

Committed to promoting gender equality in STEM

 Coming from a background of marketing, communication, gender, Laurence Koussoubé is no less passionate about technology. She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing management, a master’s degree in communication and a university degree in gender and humanitarian action. Like the other areas in which she promotes women’s rights, including education, health, economy…, she is actively involved in breaking gender stereotypes in STEM. I realize that many stereotypes and inequalities exist in the STEM. « When we were younger, we had teachers who told us that maths are for boys and that girls should be more interested in literary subjects. These are the kinds of stereotypes I want to fight, hence my commitment,”she explains.

In January 2023, as NEF ambassador, she organized the African Science Week (ASW), an event that was held jointly with two other Sahelian countries, namely Chad, Niger… to promote STEM among young people, girls and women. On the menu were several activities, she explains, including a conference on the importance of science and technology for Africa’s development, a robotics workshop for young girls, a chemistry workshop for students, a meeting between researchers, scientists and engineers, a film screening followed by a debate with women and young girls scientists.

Between her dedication to defending women’s rights and her commitment to promoting STEM, Laurence Koussoubé believes there is a common thread, namely education. For her, it helps to ensure gender equality, but also enables young people to develop their capacities and to reach their full potential, including in the sciences. “STEM education plays a role in promoting the rights of women, girls and youth by breaking gender stereotypes and contributing to the empowerment of girls and women, giving them the knowledge and skills needed to enter scientific and technical professions,”she says.

Today, as a feminist activist, her ambition is to see all girls and women in Africa and around the world gain access to quality education, so that they can live free from patriarchy and any system of oppression.

Danielle Engolo