ECOWAS VP asks member states to drive political inclusion for women, youth
THE Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ms Damtien Tchintchibidja has called on member states to take full ownership of the ECOWAS 50th Anniversary Legacy Project on the political participation and leadership of women and youth in order to ensure its realisation.
According to her, the success of the project designed to mark 50 years of regional integration could only be successful when Gender Ministers of member states and their governments own a drive it across.
The 50th Anniversary Legacy Project on the Political Participation and Leadership of Women and Youth is a flagship initiative of the ECOWAS designed as part of the celebration of 50 years of regional integration with a forward-looking, impact-driven reform agenda.
At the core of the project is strengthening the political inclusion of women and young people across ECOWAS member states and addressing the structural, legal, and institutional barriers that limit their participation and leadership in public decision-making.
Addressing a Ministerial High-level Advocacy Meeting as part of a four-day Regional Consultation on Political Participation and Leadership of Women and Youth in West Africa in Accra yesterday, she said the Legacy Project was not a programme to be implemented mechanically by member states but a framework to be shaped, driven, and championed by national authorities, particularly ministers responsible for gender equality, social inclusion, and human development.
The Minister of Gender Women Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, on her part, reiterated the government of Ghana’s commitment to advancing the political participation and leadership of women and young people in West Africa at a ministerial meeting held in Accra, on the margins of an ECOWAS regional consultation.
She noted that the dialogue was timely, given the persistent underrepresentation of women and youth in political leadership and decision-making across the sub-region.
The minister commended the ECOWAS Commission and its partners for selecting Ghana to host the four-day meeting, and praised efforts to prioritise gender inclusion within the ECOWAS regional consultation framework.
The Vice President explained that the Legacy Project formed part of the 50th anniversary activities of the Economic Community of West African States and was aimed at establishing strong and sustainable mechanisms for the effective political inclusion of women and youth across the sub-region.
She said the initiative would be anchored in a presidential political declaration and complemented by a coherent set of co-created regional guidelines to support the adoption of appropriate legal and policy frameworks at the national level, in line with each country’s political and institutional context.
According to her, these instruments were intended to reinforce, and not replace, national ownership by providing a shared regional direction that could inform government deliberations, enrich parliamentary dialogue, and guide budgetary prioritisation towards inclusive governance.
Mrs Tchintchibidja further noted that the Legacy Project was being launched at a critical moment when ECOWAS was reflecting on its 50-year journey, drawing lessons from past challenges and positioning itself for greater impact in the future, particularly under ECOWAS Vision 2050.
She emphasised that the project was fundamental to the Vision’s people-centred development agenda, as it directly links political inclusion to employment creation, democratic legitimacy, social stability, and long-term prosperity for the region.
She noted that although women and youth formed the majority of West Africa’s population, structural, institutional but socio-cultural barriers continued to limit their influence in governance, undermining inclusive development and democratic sustainability.
Highlighting Ghana’s progress, the minister cited the enactment of the Affirmative Action Gender Equity Act and ongoing reforms under national gender and youth policies, and reaffirmed Ghana’s readiness to work with ECOWAS Member States to promote gender-responsive budgeting and inclusive leadership across the region.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
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