ECOWAS recently held a significant event focused on advancing the Women, Peace & Security Agenda during the Sixty-Ninth Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York. The event marked the launch of two key initiatives: the ECOWAS Women Peace and Security Mentorship Academy for Young Female Leaders in West Africa and the ECOWAS Project to Support Economic Empowerment and Digital Inclusion for Community-Based Organizations in West Africa. A session on women’s roles in peace mediation and peacebuilding was also part of the agenda.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its Directorate of Humanitarian & Social Affairs led by Commissioner Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr, organized this high-level Women, Peace & Security (WPS) event. It took place at the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York, highlighting ECOWAS’s dedication to gender equality and peacebuilding efforts within West Africa.
A diverse group attended, including ministers from ECOWAS member states, UN officials, CSW69 delegates, representatives from international organizations, civil society organizations (CSOs), gender equality advocates, media representatives, foundations, grant organizations, and leaders from private and IT sectors.
Notable speakers included H.E Amb. Fatima K. Mohammed, Head of Mission at AU Permanent Observer to the United Nations. She delivered opening remarks praising ECOWAS for launching these initiatives. H.E Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs of Nigeria—represented by Dr. Maryam Ismaila Keshinro—introduced key projects related to women’s livelihood and digital inclusion in West Africa.
H.E. Dr. Isata Mahoi shared Sierra Leone’s experience as a current UN Security Council member in strengthening Women, Peace & Security efforts. Additionally, H.E Bineta Diop and Ms. Nathalie Ndongo-Seh expressed solidarity with ECOWAS and offered recommendations for future actions.
This side event reinforced ECOWAS’s leadership role in promoting women’s empowerment across peace and security sectors within West Africa. As these initiatives progress, ECOWAS is committed to fostering sustainable change while ensuring women are central to peacebuilding endeavors throughout the region.
