ECOWAS AND PARTNERS ADVANCE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY LEGACY PROJECT ON GENDER PARITY IN ELECTIVE OFFICES AT CSW70

The ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa and AWLIN, reaffirmed its commitment to advancing gender equality and promoting equal opportunities for women and men in West Africa during the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), taking place from 9 to 20 March 2026 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States of America.

In this context, a High-Level Ministerial Interactive Session was convened on 12 March 2026 in the Nelson Mandela Room of the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, under the theme: “Breaking Financial Barriers: Advancing Women’s Political Leadership in West Africa.”

“Ensuring access to justice and strengthening women’s participation in public life” constitutes the priority theme of CSW70, providing an important global platform to advance gender equality and enhance women’s participation in public and political life.

The interactive session organised by ECOWAS on the margins of CSW70 builds on the outcomes of the Regional Consultation held in Accra, Republic of Ghana, from 10 to 14 February 2026, which focused on strengthening the political participation and leadership of women and youth in West Africa. The initiative seeks to consolidate the regional orientations adopted in Accra aimed at addressing barriers to women’s political participation and, in the longer term, promoting the adoption of a model law on gender-responsive political financing to support harmonised reforms across ECOWAS Member States.

The high-level session was chaired by the Honourable Dr Isatou MAHOI, Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on Gender, alongside ministers and representatives of ECOWAS Member States.

In their remarks, H.E. Mrs Damtien L. TCHINTCHIBIDJA, Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, and Prof. Fatou SOW SARR, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, underscored the urgent need to invest in women’s and youth political participation and leadership, highlighting these as essential drivers of peace, prosperity and resilience across West African nations.

Similarly, Ambassador Mohamed EDREES, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations, Ms Ahunna EZIAKONWA, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Assistant Administrator and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, and Ms Binta DIOP, President of AWLIN, called on ECOWAS Member States to take decisive action to dismantle financial barriers that continue to limit women’s participation in political and governance processes.

The high-level ministerial session concluded, on behalf of the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, with a strong call to action delivered by the Honourable Chantal FANNY, President of ECOFEPA, urging stakeholders “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.”