By Diana Adjei
A four-day regional engagement organised under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has ended in Accra with a renewed pledge by Member States to strengthen women and youth participation in politics and governance.
The engagement, coordinated by the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, brought together representatives of ECOWAS, government officials, policymakers and other stakeholders from across the sub-region.
The programme climaxed with a High-Level Regional Consultation and Advocacy Meeting focused on promoting inclusive leadership and democratic participation in West Africa.
Addressing the closing ceremony, the Vice President of the Republic Ghana, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, called for stronger and more practical measures to expand political space for women and young people.
She urged leaders in the sub-region to go beyond policy commitments and ensure effective implementation of existing frameworks to create meaningful opportunities for women and youth in decision-making.
She observed that although several regional instruments, including the ECOWAS Gender and Youth Policy, have been adopted, representation of women and young people in leadership positions remains low.
According to her, inclusion must not be symbolic but should be treated as critical to democratic consolidation and sustainable development in the sub-region.
The Vice President noted that empowering women and youth to take up leadership roles would enhance democratic resilience, enrich policy debates and strengthen public institutions.
For her part, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to deepening regional collaboration to advance the rights and welfare of women, children and vulnerable groups.
She commended ECOWAS and participating Member States for their cooperation and shared vision towards inclusive governance.
Representatives of ECOWAS expressed appreciation to the Government of Ghana for hosting the meeting and described the outcomes as a significant step towards strengthened regional cooperation and deeper democratic inclusion.
The High-Level Advocacy Meeting officially marked the end of the four-day engagement.
