The ECOWAS Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, in partnership with the Minis-try of Gender, Kids, and Social Welfare in The Gambia, held a three-day Capability Construct-ing Workshop on the Continental Outcomes Framework (CRF) for Monitoring and Reporting on the Ladies, Peace, and Safety (WPS) Agenda from October 23-25, 2024, in Banjul.
The workshop which held in Banjul, was supported by the ECOWAS Peace and Safety Ar-chitecture and Operations (EPSAO) Mission and co-funded by the ECOWAS Fee, the European Union, and German Federal Ministry for Financial Cooperation and Improvement (BMZ).
The ECOWAS Resident Consultant to The Gambia, Ambassador Miatta Lilly French, em-phasized ECOWAS’s dedication to utilizing the CRF to bolster coordination, accountability, and WPS implementation, recognizing Gambia’s progress and dedication to fostering an inclusive society. She famous the CRF serves as a pivotal device to seize girls’s contribu-tions in peace and safety, notably as Gambian girls stay underrepresented in decision-making roles.
Representing the EU Delegation to The Gambia Ms. Enya Braun highlighted how dependable da-ta is vital for advancing WPS, referencing the EU’s Gender Motion Plan (GAP) III (2021-2025), which mandates progress monitoring in gender equality, together with in peace and securi-ty. Whereas re-committing the help of the EU, she additionally emphasised the significance of girls’s involvement in peacebuilding for tackling challenges like gender-based violence, local weather change, and migration.
The German Ambassador to The Gambia, Amb. Klaus Botzet reiterated the significance of correct knowledge for prioritizing WPS points and useful resource mobilization. Whereas committing the continous help of the federal government of Germany, he highlighted the alignment of Germa-ny’s feminist improvement coverage with the CRF to help rights, sources, and representa-tion.
In her opening remarks, Mme. Rugiatou Kah, Everlasting Secretary of the Ministry of Gen-der, Kids, and Social Welfare, highlighted The Gambia’s progress on UNSCR 1325, with its first Nationwide Motion Plan (2012-2016) paving the way in which for insurance policies on gender and ladies’s empowerment. She introduced that The Gambia is now implementing its second-generation Motion Plan (2021-2025), specializing in safety, participation, and prevention and knowledgeable of the readiness of the ministry to proceed collaborating with the ECOWAS Fee and the event companions to foster implementation of the plan .
On the sidelines of the workshop, 5 gender evaluation reviews had been offered to the ECOWAS Resident Consultant to the Gambia: Gender Mainstreaming in Elections by the ECOWAS Fee, Gender Inclusivity and Efficient Mediation Processes in West Africa, Gender Mainstreaming in Small Arms and Gentle Weapons (SALW), The First ECOWAS Re-gional Ladies, Peace, and Safety Report: Baseline Evaluation on the Standing of the WPS Agenda in West Africa, and Gender Mainstreaming and Election Administration Our bodies in ECOWAS Member States.
Talking on behalf of Dr. Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs on the ECOWAS Fee, Ms. Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit, Embedded WPS Technical Knowledgeable, emphasised the relevance of the reviews in advancing gender equality and inclusivity throughout key areas of peace, safety, and governance. The reviews function important re-sources for numerous stakeholders, underscoring ECOWAS’s dedication to inclusive policy-making and implementation all through the area.
On the finish of the workshop, Members agreed to collaborate with the Ministry of Gender, Kids, and Social Welfare to advertise the Nationwide Motion Plan and likewise developed and adopted a framework to operationalize the WPS technical working group. The workshop convened over 30 individuals from authorities ministries, companies, girls and youth organizations, the Federation of the Disabled, the Nationwide Meeting, and CSOs. It additionally en-hanced the information and understanding of the stakeholders on the CRF and strengthened coordination amongst Gambia’s WPS stakeholders.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS).