Why Do Women Love Ibrahim Traoré?

France Out of Africa!

Hands off Africa!

Hands off Traoré!

Female members of The Center for Political Innovation rallied alongside their male counterparts outside the French Embassy in Chicago to support Ibrahim Traoré and the Progressive and Popular Revolution in Burkina Faso.

“Ibrahim Traoré is my hero, personally. Look up to this man. This man has helped his own people in a span of 5 years or less,” Gabby Hernandez explained. 

Women love Traoré. 

France hates him. France wants their free uranium and gold back. 

The Imperialists hate him. The ruling class fears populist leaders who can unite working families and take back the land. 

“This man is building public housing, feeding his people, creating a quality public health care system, quality education, supporting farmers, raising wages.

“We should be so lucky to have a dictator like this!” Jessica Coco added.

Penny Arcos explained how the Alliance of Sahel States kicked out the French troops and built their own army to fight the terrorist groups that France once forbade them to fight. 

Hernandez and Coco pointed out that NATO takes our hard-earned tax dollars to fund terrorism and to try to take out Ibrahim Traoré while our roads and bridges are falling apart, trains are derailing, and data centers are replacing farms. Healthcare and education are substandard and unaffordable because it doesn't benefit the bankers to take care of the citizens or infrastructure.

In Burkina Faso, under the Faso Mêbo (Build My Country) Presidential Initiative, the population, young and old, is equipped and mobilized to build roads and develop urban areas. This gives people ownership in rebuilding their country and provides opportunities to strengthen social cohesion and plan for the future. Burkina Faso is building a 206-mile, eight-lane expressway with no outside help.

In the area of healthcare, Arcos highlighted the 15 mobile clinics that Burkina Faso has set up in rural areas to provide free cancer screenings to women and vaccinations to children. She also mentioned the field hospitals that treat injured soldiers and provide free emergency surgery to rural citizens.

In contrast, American soldiers are deployed as cannon fodder around the world to uphold a global economic system that serves Wall Street and London. Mental health issues are rising among American troops as they endure long deployments with no purpose and no end in sight.

Women’s liberation has a completely different meaning in America as it does in Burkina Faso. American women are bombarded with images of  scantily clad, anorexic supermodels while juggling the responsibility of trying to support a family on minimum wage. Ibrahim Traoré, just like his predecessor, Thomas Sankara, supports women as agricultural entrepreneurs and honors them as important members of society.

Arcos highlighted that Traoré celebrated International Women’s Day in 2025 by visiting the Zongo Women’s Cooperative. During the visit, Traoré highlighted the role of women in producing locally to support the revolution.  He listened to them as they told him about their struggles. He promised fences and boreholes. Just three months later, he kept his promise. 

“That's what a leader does. He keeps his promises!” Arcos exclaimed, while other members cheered behind her.

The next International Women’s Day, the women of Zongo, some with babies snuggled on their backs, visited Traoré at the Presidential Palace carrying baskets of brightly colored vegetables on their heads to thank him for changing their lives. 

During the Chicago rally, everyone expressed the need for a leader like Ibrahim Traoré in America. 

Noah Shenk, the vice-chair of CPI, pointed out that Traoré is a great role model who is following the example of other pan-Africanists like Muammar Gaddafi. 

Arcos echoed that sentiment and highlighted the patriotic immersion camps in Burkina Faso. Elementary students learn art, music, ecology and the art of making and laying paving stones. High schoolers learn occupational skills and military skills to defend their country. Campers learn to love their neighbor and their country.

What opportunities do youth in America have? Folding jeans for four hours a week and pushing credit cards with 39.99% interest.

“We need a government of action that fights for working families!” Hernandez shouted.

“Build a workers’ movement!” Coco exclaimed.

Ibrahim Traoré is the kind of visionary, patriotic leader that America needs. 

France Out of Africa!

Hands off Africa!

Hands off Traoré!