La capitale nigérienne, Niamey served as a framework for the ^2nd session of the steering committee of the project “Empowering West African women's businesses in the rice value chain” in English EWASME (Empowering West African Women Small and Medium Enterprises) . The work was launched on Wednesday 5 March.

Launched in four West African countries (Niger, Senegal, Guinea and Sierra Leone), the EWASME initiative is part of a broader regional vision, that of transforming rice value chains into a lever for inclusive development. This project is a bold initiative in order to support the government's efforts in implementing this strategy, which aims to transform rice-growing sectors throughout the country. It also aims to empower 310 women businesses in Niger in the post-harvest phases of the rice value chain

This project has a substantial budget of 3,221,550 US dollars for the Nigerian component and is financed by the Islamic Development Bank (BID). It is supported by the United Nations Development Programme style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style”, serif"> (UNDP) in close synergy with the Ministry of Agriculture of Niger. Its objective is to propel the 310 women's businesses towards sustainable economic autonomy, by offering them the tools they need to thrive in a sector as strategic as that of rice, a pillar of food security in the region