First Lady Dominique Ouattara advocates for generosity and vision at Global Leadership by Women Summit 2026

First Lady Dominique Ouattara sponsored the 2nd edition of the Global Leadership by Women Summit 2026 in Marseille, France, on Monday, July 6, 2026. During her speech, she called for a more just world and shared her experience on "generosity and vision for the benefit of future generations." She highlighted her career in the private sector, where she founded AICI International and developed the Jacques Dessange Group in the United States, before dedicating herself to social work. Ouattara emphasized her belief that success is only meaningful when used to serve others. In the 1990s, she began social initiatives for vulnerable children and women in Africa, leading to the creation of the Children of Africa Foundation in 1998. After her husband, President Alassane Ouattara, acceded to the Supreme Magistracy of Côte d'Ivoire in 2011, she ceased professional activities to focus on the well-being of vulnerable populations, particularly women and children. The Foundation focuses on education, health, and social protection. In education, it builds and equips schools, provides school kits, and operates ten mobile libraries. Notable projects include a girls' high school in Kong, which became a co-educational excellence high school, and the Children of Africa excellence school in Abobo, which achieves top results in Côte d'Ivoire. In health, the Foundation built and equipped the Mother-Child Hospital in Bingerville in 2018, which offers free care for 25% of patients and 99% of pediatric