By Princetta Williams, Information Attaché, SLHC, Accra
As member states of ECOWAS participated in a four-day regional consultation on the political participation and leadership of women and young people in West Africa, the Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs of Sierra Leone and Chair of the West African Ministers of Gender and Women Affairs, Dr. Isata Mahoi, urged member states during the closing ceremony for a swift implementation of their conclusions.
The consultation was organized by the ECOWAS Gender and Development Centre and hosted by the Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Gender and Children and Social Protection. It brought together ministers responsible for gender and women’s affairs, ECOWAS resident representatives, experts, HCD focal points, and development partners.
Dr. Mahoi made this call while reading out the recommendations made during high-level sessions to strengthen the implementation of the Legacy Project.
Highlighting the recommendations, Dr. Mahoi said it was discussed and agreed that cultural norms of each member state should be taken into consideration, and a monitoring plan and capacity-building mechanisms should be established along with a caucus of ministers responsible for gender or women’s issues to provide a framework for continuous dialogue.
She added that it was also agreed that the positions of women in government should be strengthened, barriers—economic, social, cultural, and others—between women and political participation should be broken down, and the age group of young people should be considered in the analysis for their political inclusion.
Dr. Mahoi concluded by commending the organizers of the regional consultation and called on member states to work sincerely in promoting issues of women and young people in politics and governance.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang urged leaders to deepen efforts to create open political opportunities for women and young people. She noted that while regional frameworks such as the ECOWAS Gender and Youth Policy exist, the representation of women and youth in leadership and decision-making spaces remains low.
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection of Ghana, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, reiterated Ghana’s dedication to supporting initiatives that promote the rights and welfare of women and young people.
Representatives of ECOWAS and other organizations expressed appreciation to the Government of Ghana for hosting the meeting and described the outcomes as noteworthy steps toward strengthened regional cooperation and deeper self-governing inclusion.
The engagement, organized by the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and held at the Mövenpick Hotel, brought together representatives of ECOWAS, government officials, and other stakeholders from across the sub-region.
