The Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, Madam Damtien Tchintchibidja, has stated that governments alone cannot achieve women and youth political participation goals, stressing the essential role of civil society organizations in bridging the gap between governments and people.
She made this statement on Friday at the closing of the High-Level Regional Consultation on Women and Youth Political Participation in West Africa in Accra.
Speaking on behalf of gender ministers from 12 ECOWAS member states present at the meeting, Madam Tchintchibidja expressed gratitude to civil society organizations for their contributions to the consultation.
“Governments alone cannot do it. This is why civil society is very important. And for that, the richness in what we do in Africa is also very critical. This is why it’s good to work together to bridge the gap between us and our people,” the Vice President stated.
She acknowledged civil society organizations including the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANE), ECOWAS Parliament, and research institutes for their active participation in the deliberations.
Madam Tchintchibidja explained that the regional consultation involving all actors mobilized around the issues of political participation shows the common desire to join efforts to meet the constraints and challenges related to strengthening political participation and leadership of women and young people in the political space of the region.
The Minister noted that the context of the sub-region is characterized by majority representation of women and young people who are often upset and weakly institutionalized for participation in political life.
She stated that the situation on political participation and leadership of women and young people in ECOWAS member states during the consultation clearly showed the need to focus on new national and regional approaches with clear strategies.
“We need to have clear strategies. While we’re here, we need to strategize. We have seen the global context, we are seeing where we are heading to, and we need to pave the way with clear plans of how states can reach a particular destination for women and young people,” Madam Tchintchibidja said.
She announced that ECOWAS has instituted a Legacy Project aimed at consolidating the community’s achievements in terms of democratic governance and widening the foundations of the regional framework promoting equal opportunity between women and men in the political sphere.
She disclosed that the project will focus on the adoption of a model law whose ownership by member states will promote reforms that will strengthen the political participation and leadership of women and young people in the political space of the region by 2035.
Madam Tchintchibidja stated that as part of the operationalization of this initiative, commitments at the country level must be made to break down the economic, social, cultural, and other barriers to women’s political participation.
She emphasized that action plans must be developed to strengthen the effective implementation of measures to promote women and youth in political leadership.
The Minister expressed gratitude to Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang for her presence at the meeting despite her busy schedule, describing her as “our woman king, the lioness.”
“Ghana is proud of you. Africa is proud of you. Your caring leadership and courage to raise women’s voices is a source of hope and motivation for young West African women,” Madam Tchintchibidja stated.
She thanked President John Dramani Mahama for agreeing to host the important meeting, noting that the choice of Ghana as host was intentional because the African Union had entrusted the President with the mission of working for better inclusion of women and young people in the political debate of the continent.
Madam Tchintchibidja commended the ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre, particularly Professor Fatou Sosseh and her team, for successfully organizing the activity.
“It is only the Gender Centre that has been able to bring us together in this form. And we so appreciate it,” she said.
Priscilla Osei-Wusu Nimako, ISD
