ECOWAS Celebrates 50 Years of Promoting Gender Equality In West Africa.

By Ferdinand Olise

The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has organized a Ministerial conference on its 50 years of promoting gender equality, and women empowerment in West Africa.

According to a statement by the ECOWAS Commission yesterday, the ECOWAS Commission’s Department of Human Development and Social Affairs, organized in New york, USA, on March 11, 2025, a high-level interactive session under the theme “ECOWAS: 50 years of promoting gender equality, and empowering women and girls for sustainable development, and effective regional integration in West Africa”.

According to the Commission, the event was organsed with ECOWAS gender Ministers, in collaboration with the UN Women’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa, (UN Women), and the governments of ECOWAS member countries.

Also, Technical and financial partners, and Civil Society Organizations such as the West African Network of Young Women Leaders, (ROAJEF), were also in attendance.

Meanwhile, review and appraisal of the implementation of the Bei-jing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as the outcome of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly, were the priority theme for the Commission, in the area of the Status of Women commonly known as the CSW.

The CSW is being held from 10 to 21 March 2025, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA.