Stakeholders have declared that West Africa can no longer delay women’s equal participation in governance, calling for the implementation of the ECOWAS Presidential Declaration, stronger legal reforms and sustained investment in women’s leadership.
African leaders, regional institutions, development partners and women political leaders made the call at the opening of the two-day West Africa Women’s Political Leadership Forum on Accelerating Gender Parity in Political Leadership in West Africa: From Commitment to Action, held in Abuja.
Speaking at the forum, the Director of the Regional Programme for Africa at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Dr Jide Okeke, said women’s political representation was indispensable to rebuilding trust in democratic governance.
“The women in this room do not need a forum to learn how to lead. You are not the problem to be solved. You are the evidence that the problem is solvable,” he said.
Highlighting UNDP initiatives supporting women in politics, young women leaders and inclusive political transitions across Africa, Okeke stressed that gender parity was about more than numbers.
“When women are represented in politics, states function. The question is not whether women can govern in West Africa. It is how much longer this region intends to govern without them,” he added.
ECOWAS Vice-President, Mme Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, described women’s political leadership as both a democratic and development imperative, noting that the region’s future depended on the full participation of women and men alike.
“The strength of our democracies, the quality of our governance and the future of our development depend on the ability of all citizens, women and men alike, to participate fully in shaping the destiny of our region,” she said.
She added that strengthening women’s political leadership was central to the region’s economic and social progress, saying institutions become more responsive, economies more productive and development more inclusive when societies make full use of their human potential.
In separate interviews with Voice of Nigeria, women leaders called for unity, practical implementation of commitments and greater recognition of women’s rights.
President of the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA), Dr Chantal Fanny, urged women to embrace solidarity and mentorship, drawing from her experience as a two-term mayor, senator, former Vice-President of the Senate of Côte d’Ivoire and ambassador.
“We should be united to be strong and powerful. We should trust ourselves and know that the sky has no limit,” she said.
President of the Women in Politics Forum, Ebere Ifendu, described the gathering as a timely platform for women political leaders to exchange legislative experiences, strengthen regional cooperation and promote reforms that support women’s participation in politics.
She expressed hope that the forum would move beyond discussions to practical implementation and urged participants to maintain solidarity through stronger networking to advance legal reforms and combat violence against women and girls.
Also speaking, Co-founder of the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, said African women had always been ready to lead and should continue demanding equal opportunities.
“African women are ready; we have always been ready. Our rights are non-negotiable,” she said, calling for more women to occupy decision-making positions and for every girl to have access to education while living free from all forms of violence.
Participants agreed that the ECOWAS Presidential Declaration should serve as a practical regional framework for expanding women’s leadership, strengthening democratic governance and advancing inclusive, people-centred development across West Africa.
The two-day forum was organised by ECOWAS in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria, the African Union, the African Women Leaders Network and the United Nations Development Programme.
