Gender Strategy - ECOWAS Parliament 2010 - 2020

Although most African states are signatories of well-known documents on gender equality such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action and the African Union Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality, the real impact of these international instruments on women’s lives has been limited and variable. Gender disparities are still prevalent in West African countries. Closing the gender gap and enhancing women’s participation in development is essential not only for building a just society, but also a prerequisite for achieving political, social, economic, cultural and environmental security among people on a sustainable basis. Although some member States of ECOWAS have made some progress towards achieving development guided by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), gender in-equalities continue to limit women’s capabilities and constrain their ability to participate fully in and contribute to the economies of their countries.