Ministers responsible for gender and social affairs from ECOWAS member states met in Accra, Ghana, on February 19, 2026, to discuss reforms aimed at improving the political participation and leadership of women and youth in West Africa. The meeting followed a session with experts from the region and was part of a broader regional consultation.
The main goal of the ministerial meeting was to approve the report produced by the experts’ group and to develop an advocacy strategy for the ECOWAS Political Declaration on Gender Parity. This declaration is expected to be submitted for adoption at the Conference of Heads of State and Government scheduled for June 2026.
During the opening ceremony, several officials addressed attendees. Professor Fatou SOW SARR, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, stated: “This ministerial meeting marks the beginning of strong joint action. This will set the tone for reshaping the political landscape of the region with a view to greater inclusion of women and young people over the next ten years.” Chantal FANNY, President of ECOFEPA, added: “The political participation and leadership of women and young people are now a strategic imperative for the stability and sustainable development of our region.”
Damtien L. TCHINTCHIBIDJA, Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, highlighted that women make up more than half of West Africa’s population. She said this demographic reality requires efforts toward building a region where women have equal access to elected positions and decision-making roles: “This situation requires us to imagine and deliberately build a region where women have free access to elected and decision-making positions and participate meaningfully in public policy-making, a region where equal opportunities are not just a slogan but a living reality.”
Agnes Naa Momo LARTEY, Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare for Ghana, emphasized her country’s commitment: “Ghana remains committed to learning from other Member States, sharing its experience and actively contributing to regional frameworks that promote inclusive leadership, peace and democratic resilience.”
Isata MAHOI, Minister of Gender and Children for Sierra Leone as well as Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in charge of Gender issues, called for collective engagement: “The voices of women and young people are essential to the future of democracy in West Africa. It provides a platform for dismantling barriers to political participation and charting a new course in which women and young people are not only participants, but central actors in decision-making and leadership.”
A key initiative discussed was The Legacy Project. Its aim is to consolidate progress made by ECOWAS over five decades regarding democratic governance while creating a regional framework that supports equal opportunities in politics.
ECOWAS has taken steps over recent years to harmonize policies among its member states across various sectors including trade, infrastructure, agriculture, transport, legal systems as well as social development. These efforts are intended to improve living standards across West Africa while supporting stability (official website). The organization is led by a president who works alongside commissioners such as those present at this ministerial meeting (official website). In 2022 ECOWAS launched a multilingual website aimed at making information about its activities more accessible (official website). Programs currently cover twelve countries with plans to expand further within West Africa (official website). Policy influence occurs through alignment mechanisms like common external tariffs underpinned by its founding treaty (official website).