ECOWAS Hosts Side Event on Women, Peace & Security at the margins of the CSW69 in New York

ECOWAS took bold steps to advance Women, Peace & Security Agenda at the margins of the Sixty-Ninth Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) with the launching of two groundbreaking Initiatives aimed at advancing Women, Peace & Security in West Africa, namely the ECOWAS Women Peace and Security Mentorship Academy for Young Female Leaders in West Africa  and  the ECOWAS Project to Support Economic Empowerment and Digital Inclusion for Women, Peace & Security Community Based Organizations in West Africa.  The event also included a session on the role of Women in Peace Mediation and Peacebuilding.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its Directorate of Humanitarian & Social Affairs under the leadership of the Commissioner Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr, successfully hosted the high-level Women, Peace & Security (WPS) event.  The event, held at the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York, underscored ECOWAS’s unwavering commitment to gender equality and peacebuilding in West Africa.

The high-level event convened a diverse group of stakeholders, including Honorable Ministers and delegations from ECOWAS Member States, UN officials and CSW69 delegates, Representatives from international and regional organizations, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Gender equality advocates and practitioners, Media representatives, Foundations and Grant Organizations and Leaders from the Private and IT sectors.

Amongst the high-level speakers are H.E Amb. Fatima K. Mohammed, Head of Mission, AU Permanent Observer to the United Nations who delivered the opening remarks and set the tone of the meeting by commending the ECOWAS Commission on the launch of the two laudable initiatives.

H.E Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – represented by the Dr. Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, Permanent Secretary, Minister of Women Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria delivered a key statement and launched the ECOWAS Women’s Livelihood and Digital Inclusion Projects in West Africa.

H.E. Dr. Isata Mahoi, Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Republic of Sierra Leone shared the Republic of Sierra Leone’s experience in strengthening Women, Peace & Security as a current Member of the UN Security Council at the event.

While H.E Bineta Diop, AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security and Ms. Nathalie Ndongo-Seh, Director Western Africa Division, UN Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations also graced the occasion and delivered strong messages of solidarity with the ECOWAS Commission, West Africa and proffered key recommendations on the way forward.

The ECOWAS side event at CSW69 reaffirmed the region’s leadership in championing women’s empowerment, peace, and security. As these initiatives gain momentum, ECOWAS remains steadfast in fostering sustainable change and ensuring that women’s voices are at the forefront of peacebuilding efforts in West Africa.