Burkina Faso has introduced a national science competition for young women, months after suspending beauty pageants as part of efforts to promote traditional values and redefine how women are celebrated.
Dubbed Hakili Mousso, meaning “Female Intelligence”, the presidential initiative brought together 84 young women from across the country to compete in mathematics, physics and chemistry. The finalists were drawn from students who completed their science-track high school examinations in 2026.
The competition culminated in an awards ceremony on September 19, 2026, where the top performers in each subject received prizes. Inès Marie Fabiolas Nikiéma topped chemistry with 18.73 out of 20, Aminata Traoré led in physics with 15 out of 20, while Adjaratou Bama emerged top in mathematics with 14.25 out of 20.
The first-place winners in the three subjects received two million West African CFA francs each, alongside a laptop and a motorcycle. The wider competition also awarded prizes to other high-performing candidates, including cash awards, computers, motorcycles and scholarships.
President Ibrahim Traoré received the finalists at Koulouba Palace on September 21, where he spoke to them about the importance of science in national development. The programme aims to encourage more young women to pursue scientific and technical careers and challenge stereotypes that have discouraged girls from entering these fields.
The initiative follows Burkina Faso’s June 2026 suspension of national beauty pageants. The Ministry of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism said the temporary halt was necessary to review competition guidelines and ensure they reflected national culture, ethical standards and human dignity.
Culture Minister Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo said the contests would return in a revised format that promotes women while incorporating traditional values and cultural heritage, including locally made Faso Dan Fani and koko dunda fabrics.
“We suspended beauty contests because the content needed to be reorganised. We will relaunch them in a format that promotes women and our traditional values,” Ouédraogo told MoussoNews.
Hakili Mousso offers a different platform for recognising young women, placing academic performance and scientific ability at the centre of the competition.
The programme also comes amid concerns about the representation of women in science. Data presented by Burkina Faso officials during the awards ceremony showed that women accounted for 36.7 per cent of enrolment in scientific courses in the 2025-2026 academic year, compared with 59.5 per cent in non-scientific courses.
Through the initiative, the government hopes to encourage more girls to pursue careers in science, technology and engineering, while building a larger pool of female researchers and technical professionals.