The ECOWAS Commission’s Department of Human Development and Social Affairs has organised a regional first ladies forum on Zero Tolerance for Gender-Based Violence in Banjul, Gambia, 24 – 26 March 2026.
The Banjul meeting, in collaboration with the West African Health Organisation and the Gambian authorities, has deployed a technical mission for the ECOWAS First Ladies forum.
The mission forms part of the implementation of the regional SWEDD-plus project, supported by the World Bank, which ‘aims to strengthen the empowerment of women and girls and combat gender-based violence in West and Central Africa’.
The mission brought together representatives of relevant sectoral ministries, the Office of the First Lady, technical and financial partners, as well as the national organising committees of the Forum.
‘Its objective was to assess the level of preparedness, identify remaining challenges, and finalise the technical, logistical, and institutional arrangements required for the successful organisation of the Forum.
As part of this renewal process, ECOWAS is implementing critical and strategic programmes that will deepen cohesion and progressively eliminate identified barriers to full integration. In this way, the estimated 300 million citizens of the community can ultimately take ownership of the realisation of the new vision of moving from an ECOWAS of States to an “ECOWAS of the People: Peace and Prosperity to All.” by 2050.
The mission was marked by a strong commitment from the Government of the Republic of The Gambia, illustrated notably by the active involvement of the First Lady, whose leadership proved instrumental in mobilising national stakeholders and partners.
The discussions enabled the reaffirmation of the shared determination to make the Forum a strategic platform for advocacy and concrete action towards the elimination of gender-based violence and the promotion of the rights of women and girls in West and Central Africa