Theme: Women’s Empowerment, Social Protection, and Healthy Food for Inclusive and Resilient Development
The 3rd National Forum on Economic and Social Research was held on February 17, 2026, in Dakar, organized by the Consortium pour la Recherche Économique et Sociale (CRES) in partnership with the Direction Générale de la Planification et des Politiques Économiques (DGPE) and several national and international institutions. The event brought together around one hundred participants from public administrations, the private sector, universities, civil society organizations, women’s associations, members of parliament, and technical and financial partners.
The opening remarks highlighted the challenges related to women’s empowerment, the lack of investment in social protection, and the importance of evidence-based data to inform public policies.
Discussions focused on three main areas: the adoption of a healthy and sustainable food system, inclusive social protection, and the recognition of unpaid domestic work. Participants emphasized the need to promote balanced and sustainable diets, diversify funding sources for social protection, and recognize care work in order to strengthen women’s economic empowerment. The Consortium Régional en Économie Générationnelle (CREG), officially invited to the forum, actively contributed to the discussions by providing complementary insights and reaffirming its role in the national dialogue on public policies.
The recommendations highlighted the importance of strengthening research and improving data accessibility, adopting a nutrition policy based on local products, creating dialogue platforms between the private sector and universities, revising communication strategies on the risks of unhealthy diets, monitoring pesticide use, and ensuring the implementation and follow-up of nutrition-related laws.
In conclusion, the forum proved to be a strategic platform for dialogue between researchers, policymakers, and development stakeholders, illustrating the importance of inter-institutional collaboration to promote inclusive and sustainable policies.
