El Hadji Mor SY

UCAD, Senegal

Title: Sustainable Public Procurement, a strategic lever for economic and socio-ecological development in favor of the empowerment of women in Senegal

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Biography

El Hadji Mor SY is a PhD student in Economics at the Laboratory of Economic and Monetary Research (LAREM) at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. His research focuses on Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) as a lever for socio-economic development and women’s empowerment.

He participated in the ManaGlobal project funded by the European Union and completed a two-month doctoral stay at the University of Rennes 2. He is a member of the African Network of Young Researchers of the ICRW as part of the "Behind the Scenes" project funded by the Mastercard Foundation.

Trained in public procurement at the Public Procurement Regulatory Institute (IRCOP), he has practical experience at the Central Directorate of Public Procurement (DCMP). Currently, he works as an assistant in public procurement at the National Program for the Development of Agro-Industrial Parks in Senegal (PNDAS).

Abstract

Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) represents a strategic lever to foster inclusive socio-economic development while integrating environmental and social considerations. This study examines the impact of SPP on women's empowerment in Senegal, highlighting its role in improving access to public procurement for women entrepreneurs. The analysis is framed within the reforms of the Senegalese Public Procurement Code and national sustainable development strategies, in alignment with the Senegal 2050 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 5, 8, and 16). The methodology is based on an empirical approach using data from a survey conducted by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ARCOP) in 2023. A Probit model is employed to identify the determinants of women-led SMEs' access to public markets. The results reveal that SPP contributes to better inclusion of women in public procurement through incentivizing measures such as participation quotas, prioritization of female SMEs, and training on tender procedures. However, obstacles remain, including information deficits, difficulties in accessing financing, and the complexity of administrative procedures. The findings emphasize the need to strengthen the implementation of positive discrimination policies, improve the capacity of women entrepreneurs, and promote the digitization of public procurement to enhance transparency and reduce informal barriers. An integrated approach, combining public policies and private initiatives, appears essential to maximize the impact of SPP on women's empowerment in Senegal.