COP29: ECOWAS in Partnership with UN Women Organises a Regional Technical Workshop of Experts of Gender and Environment on Placing Women at the Heart of the Transition to a Green Economy in West Africa
23 Oct, 2024The ECOWAS Commission, through the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC), in partnership with the UN Women Regional Office for West and Central Africa, has organised a regional technical workshop from October 21 to 23, 2024, in Lomé, Togo.
The three-day workshop titled: ‘Placing Women at the Heart of the Transition to the Green Economy in West Africa’, is to facilitate dialogue among ECOWAS Member States, Regional Institutions, Research Organizations, and Stakeholders on the implementation of the ECOWAS Action Plan on Gender and the Green Economy, with a particular focus on enhancing opportunities for women in green jobs and finance.
Participants will also discuss the conclusions from the high level panel discussion organised jointly with EGDC and UN Women on the margins of the 68th UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), particularly focusing on women’s access to climate finance in Africa. it will be an opportunity to coordinate sub-regional political advocacy on women and climate change issues.
In his statement, Mr. Maxime Houinato, Director, UN Women Regional Office for West and Central Africa, emphasised that “Women are essential for the future of climate action in West Africa. When their green entrepreneurship is encouraged and their access to green financing is ensured, they become pillars of green growth, creating more sustainable decent jobs”. He thanked the governments of France and Ireland for their support to UN Women’s work on the green economy.
Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, the Commissioner of Human Development and Social Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission, in her welcome statement, underscored the importance of coming up with ideas and solutions to accelerate the transition to the green economy for the benefit of women in West Africa and to reduce the gap that separates us from the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women as formulated by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the ECOWAS Vision 2050.
In his opening Statement, Hon. Katari Foli-Bazi, the Minister of Environment and Forestry Resources of the Republic of Togo, highlighted the importance of climate change and that no country is spared from its negative impacts. “Africa is at the heart of the negative impacts of climate change like; irregular rainfall, increase in temperature, acute flooding, coastal erosion, etc.”, he said, adding that Women are more vulnerable to these impacts of climate change and are mostly not involved in decision making these issues. He encouraged for more women participation.
West Africa is a region particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Indeed, the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change in the world are all located in sub-Saharan Africa. Women and girls in West Africa play a critical role in climate change adaptation and mitigation through their role in key sectors such as agriculture or through the sustainable management of natural resources and the conservation of ecosystems – including those with important carbon sequestration functions (forests, mangroves, etc.).
Bold policies have been put in place by ECOWAS and its Member States to address the differential vulnerabilities of women, men, boys and girls before, during and after a disaster, particularly in the context of climate change. In collaboration with its Member States and partners, ECOWAS adopted in 2019 the ECOWAS Gender Strategy and Action Plan 2020-2030 for Disaster Risk Reduction (ECOWAS DRR SPAG 2020-2030) and a 2015-2030 action plan to ensure gender-sensitive Disaster Risk Reduction in the region.
By the end of the workshop, participants are expected to lay the groundwork for a coordinated effort on regional advocacy concerning gender and climate change in preparation for COP29 and CSW69.
