ECOWAS, UNDP Rally Support For More Women Representation In Political Leadership

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP)   have  intensified  efforts to  rally critical stakeholders to strengthen the representation of women in political  leadership in West Africa.

This was the focus of a two-day West Africa Women’s Political  Leadership Forum  that  commenced in Abuja on Thursday with the theme: “ Accelerating Gender Parity in Political Leadership in West Africa: From  Commitment To Action.”

In her keynote address, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Damtien Tchintchibidja, said West African women have helped the region’s democracy, strengthened its institutions, supported electoral processes and deepened regional cooperation.  She added that these efforts have helped to establish ECOWAS as an important force for peace, stability and democratic governance.

She, however, lamented that despite these efforts one significant challenge continues to prevent the democracies from fully reflecting the people they serve, which she noted was the persistent underrepresentation of women in political leadership.

She said, “Women constitute more than half of our population and make indispensable contributions across every sphere of society. They lead businesses, sustain families and communities, build peace, drive innovation and contribute immeasurably to economic and social progress. Yet their presence in the institutions and processes where decisions are made remains far below the scale of their contribution to public life.

“Today, women occupy only 15.5 per cent of parliamentary seats across West Africa, well below both the African average of 25 per cent and the global average of 26.5 per cent.”

The ECOWAS Vice President underscored the need to strengthen women’s political leadership, which she said is not only about correcting a longstanding imbalance, but central to the economic and social progress of the region.

She pointed out the link between closing the gender gap and increased economic advantage to the region, quoting the International Monetary Fund, which estimates that closing gender the gap could increase economic output by 10 to 35 per cent, depending on national circumstances.

She emphasized that behind those figures are real possibilities, stressing that the World Bank similarly estimates that countries lose approximately 14 per cent of their human capital wealth when women are unable to participate fully in economic and public life.

She said further that at the Summit on the Future of Regional Integration in West Africa in Sierra Leone, the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of States and Government adopted the Presidential Declaration on Strengthening the Representation of Women in Political Leadership in the ECOWAS Region.

She noted that the Declaration provides a regional framework for action and calls for sustained engagement by Member States, ECOWAS institutions and all sectors of society.

In her address , the  United Nations Assistant Secretary –General , UNDP Assistant  Administrator  and Director , Regional Bureau  for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, warned that women exclusion from important leadership positions have consequences for society as a whole . She  said that greater representation  of women in political leadership is associated with stronger democratic legitimacy, which will improve peace also development outcomes.

She added that it is in response to this challenge that the UNDP in partnership with the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) and the African Union (AU) established the African facility for women in political leadership.

She said that though the facility stakeholders are preparing to launch the African Academy for Women political leadership in Kigali, Rwanda, stressing that the UNDP will support the AU to develop guidelines to address the financial constraints women face in political participation.

Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim, in her remarks lamented that although women constitute half of the region’s population their participation in political leadership remains “disproportionally low with the regional average of women in national parliament still below 20 per cent.

“Against this background this forum provides the strategic platform to translate The Presidential Declaration and gender Parity in political representation in order to turn aspiration of women into credible action,” she said adding that the Nigerian  government remains committed to the 35 per cent affirmative action for women participation in for elective positions.

Other dignitaries that graced the occasion, include, the President of the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA) Senator Chantal Fanny; UNDP Director Regional Programme for Africa, Dr Jide Okeke; former Minister of Gender, Child and Family of the Democratic Republic of Congo Marie Louise Nwange, among others.