The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, together with the African Union Commission, the United Nations Development Programme Regional Service Centre for Africa, and AWLIN, reaffirmed its commitment to promoting gender equality during the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), according to a Mar. 16 announcement. The event is taking place from March 9 to 20 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The focus on advancing women’s political leadership is seen as an important step toward ensuring equal opportunities for women and men in West Africa. The High-Level Ministerial Interactive Session held on March 12 addressed financial barriers that limit women’s participation in politics under the theme “Breaking Financial Barriers: Advancing Women’s Political Leadership in West Africa.”
The session built upon outcomes from a regional consultation held in Accra, Ghana, which aimed to strengthen political participation and leadership among women and youth. The initiative seeks to address obstacles facing women’s political involvement and promote a model law on gender-responsive political financing across ECOWAS member states.
Honourable Dr Isatou MAHOI, Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs of Sierra Leone and Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on Gender, chaired the session alongside other ministers and representatives. H.E. Mrs Damtien L. TCHINTCHIBIDJA, Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, and Prof. Fatou SOW SARR, Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs at ECOWAS, said there is an urgent need to invest in women’s and youth political participation as essential drivers for peace and prosperity.
Ambassador Mohamed EDREES from the African Union, Ms Ahunna EZIAKONWA from UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, and Ms Binta DIOP from AWLIN also called for decisive action by ECOWAS member states to remove financial barriers limiting women’s roles in governance.
Honourable Chantal FANNY, President of ECOFEPA, concluded with a call to action: “to move from declarations of intent to concrete action, because the future of our region will not only be built with women, it will be shaped by their leadership.”
According to the official website, ECOWAS aims to advance cooperation among member states through harmonized policies covering trade, transport, agriculture, social development and more. The commission is led by a president supported by a vice president and commissioners according to its official website. In 2022 ECOWAS launched a multilingual website to improve accessibility and transparency according to its official website. Its programs target twelve West African countries but aim for broader regional impact according to its official website. The organization influences policy by harmonizing economic systems among members according to its official website and holds authority under its treaty framework through mechanisms such as common external tariffs according to its official website.