Soap: The Humble Bar that Empowers Rural Women

The women’s circle of Bambali, Sedhiou presenting their products.

Soap-Making : A Practical Path to Empower Rural Women

By Ndeye Absa Gueye

Imagine having to borrow a bar of soap from a neighbor–often under the disapproving gaze of your husband–just to wash your children’s clothes. Or waiting an entire week to buy some soap at the weekly market, praying that the money entrusted to a middleman doesn’t vanish along the way.  

This is the daily reality for thousands of rural women. In fact, large households where multiple families live together need about three bars of soap per week in order to wash clothes, clean the house, and wash the dishes and kitchen utensils–a substantial demand. 

Today, through its business circles program, the Batonga Foundation provides soap-making training to local women, an activity which serves not only as a source of revenue, but also increases the availability of soap within the community. Through this training, enterprising young women improve and diversify their soap products to meet the needs and demands of the market. They now produce solid bars, liquid soap, powdered soap, and even bleach. Taking inspiration from their elders, young women and girls in Batonga’s business circles have even developed natural, plant-based toilet soaps, mixing modern technology with traditional knowledge. 

Soap bars produced by women’s circles in Bambali, Sedhiou.

In addition to being taught how to make soap, these women entrepreneurs are also taught how to manage their businesses and finances, coordinating with other members of their business circle to avoid oversupply and maintain profitability for all members. Through soap-making, women have regained self esteem and found fulfillment through entrepreneurship and skills-building. They no longer have to feel embarrassed knocking on neighbors’ doors to borrow a bar of soap, and they also gain additional income.  

With better access to cleaning products, communities are becoming healthier. Everyone, especially children and the elderly, is better protected from preventable diseases stemming from poor hygiene. Indeed, with the help of initiatives like Batonga’s business circles program, enterprising young women are solving practical needs while helping to bring health and dignity to all.  

“Since I started making my own soap, my husband looks at me differently. I’m no longer the one begging.” —Fatoumata, participant. 

 Pour comprendre davantage nos différentes approches programmatiques, visitez notre site web www.batongafoundation.org ainsi que nos médias sociaux Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn et Tiktok. 

Ndeye Absa Gueye is Women’s Economic Empowerment Program Manager at Batonga Foundation Senegal 

Fondation Batonga - Leadership féminin - Cercles de femmes - Leadership féminin - Autonomisation des femmes