On the path to CSW71, the African continent defines its priorities:

 “Position paid and unpaid care work, climate action, and gender-responsive green transition as fundamental to women’s rights in Africa!”

The ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC), led by its Director, Mrs. Sandra OULATÉ FATTOH, took part in the African Ministerial Pre-Consultation Meeting in preparation for the 71st Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW71), held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from October 22 to 29, 2026.

The pre-consultation was conducted by the Specialized Technical Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (STC-GEWE), which serves as the African Union’s supreme sectoral organ for strategic direction and accountability on gender equality and women’s empowerment. This marked the 11th ordinary session of the STC-GEWE. It brought together ministers, senior officials, and experts responsible for gender and women’s affairs from AU Member States, representatives of AU organs and institutions, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), UN agencies, development partners, and other relevant stakeholders to deliberate on key continental and global policies regarding gender equality and women’s empowerment.

These African consultations took place within a framework of exchanges and dialogue among African nations on key issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, notably the recognition and valuation of paid and unpaid care work, climate policies, and gender-responsive disaster risk reduction.

This consultation process is part of the preparations for CSW71, scheduled for March 8 to 19, 2027, in New York, USA. During this session, Africa will defend its gender equality priorities by presenting a Common African Position on these issues, as well as its bid to host CSW74.

The preliminary conclusions of the consultations focused on the effective integration of these issues and called on African States to adopt public policies aimed at reducing and redistributing the care burden, strengthening local social services, promoting decent work in care professions, and fostering a more equitable sharing of domestic responsibilities between women and men.

Through its participation in these consultations, the EGDC addressed the High-Level Ministerial Meeting on behalf of all RECs. In her address, the Director of the EGDC reaffirmed the importance of making the care economy and gender-responsive climate action key levers for social justice, women’s economic empowerment, and sustainable development part of a unified African movement to advocate for common priorities on the international stage.

Speaking on behalf of all RECs, she urged: “Africa must move from commitments to concrete results that transform the lives of women and girls. The success of CSW71 will depend not only on negotiation outcomes, but also on sustained political leadership, adequate funding, strong institutions, and genuine accountability. Regional Economic Communities (RECs) stand ready to work in close collaboration with the African Union Commission, Member States, and partners to advance this shared agenda.”