VALIDATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN (2023-2027) OF THE ECOWAS GENDER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

Ghana is hosting the Regional Meeting for Gender Experts & Ministers responsible for Gender and Women Affairs of ECOWAS Member States from Monday 27th to Thursday 30th March 2023.

The meeting which is being organised by the Ecowas – Cedeao Gender Development Centre – Ccdg_egdc is under the theme: “Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls: An imperative for the Achievement of Sustainable Development and Effective Regional Integration in West Africa.”

The main objective of the Meeting of Experts and representatives of civil society organisations working on gender and development, is to discuss, review and finalise the draft EGDC Strategic Plan 2023-2027, prior to its validation by the Meeting of Ministers responsible for Gender and Women Affairs and subsequent adoption by other statutory bodies of ECOWAS.

The EGDC Strategic Plan sets the tone for the contributions that the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre seeks to make to the regional integration process in the medium to long terms.

The goal of the Strategic Plan is to build on the progress and achievements that have been made over the years and to contribute to sustainable development and economic and social justice in the ECOWAS region, through the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

In her keynote address, the Chief Director for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Afisah Zakariah indicated that Gender inequality is a persistent issue that undermines the progress of societies and nations worldwide. This she said, is a major impediment to achieving effective regional integration and sustainable development adding that the theme for the workshop is apt, considering the need for ECOWAS Member States to collectively achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the sub-region.

She continued by saying that, to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls in West Africa, there is the need to address several key issues which includes the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls, including harmful cultural practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.

“There is also the need to promote gender-sensitive legislation and ensure that perpetrators of gender-based violence are held accountable for their actions”. She stressed.

She therefore called on stakeholders and gender experts to bring out more pragmatic strategies that will promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The Director of the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre, Mrs. Sandra Oulate in her statement commended the Government of Ghana for its tireless efforts towards achieving gender equality and equity and the empowerment of women and girls.

She indicated that between 2003 and 2023, the CCDG worked on developing gender policies, culminating in the period 2015-2021 with the adoption of the Additional Act on Equal Rights between women and men for sustainable development in the ECOWAS region.

This Act according to her has become a legal instrument of reference for 15 Member States.

She stressed ECOWAS’ commitment to providing its Member States Community through capacity building for women, men and young people, for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women in the context of the process of regional integration.

Source: MoGCSP