Source: TODAY Newspaper
The Dakar-based ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) yesterday held its eighth consultative meeting to seek more strategic approach to its mandate as well as consolidate the gains made over the last years. The meeting was held at the Paradise Suites Hotel.

 

In her introductory remarks, Madam Aminatta Dibba, director of the centre noted that the year 2010 was a difficult one because the Gender Centre was still faced with challenges of human resource constraints.

According to her, the goal of the consultative meeting was for the organization to “adopt a more strategic approach in the execution of its mandate and in strengthening the ability of the Gender Centre to respond to the practical and strategic needs of the ECOWAS people, in fulfillment of the ECOWAS Vision to move from an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of People.

Madam Dibba further proposed that the Consultative Committee arrive at concrete proposals on ways in which the Committee can play a more active role in resource mobilization for the Centre's programmes and in strengthening the visibility of the Centre in the Member States through advocacy and publicity initiatives.

Speaking on the achievements of 2010, Madam Dibba pointed out that the 7th consultative committee had come up with concrete recommendations on staff issues; however problems still persist. She also said that the year was on the other hand fulfilling in spite of the constraints, because the Gender Centre succeeded in strengthening the foundations for achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment in the ECOWAS region.

According to her, the centre was able to consolidate its Scholarships of Excellence for Girls Programme in all but three member states as well as its programme of support to girls and women suffering from obstetric fistula.

She further said that the Gender Centre provided technical and financial support to women engaged in the processing of agricultural products and also facilitated the social and economic integration of the girls and women cured from fistula through the provision of technical and financial support to them to start and manage their own businesses. She explained that the centre also succeeded in providing financial and technical support to the Network on Peace and Security for Women in the ECOWAS region (NOPSWECO) and the Network of Young Female Leaders of West Africa (ROAJELF) with the view to setting up their regional secretariats and to begin functioning effectively.

She said that with their strategic partners, the centre was able to ensure the adoption of the ECOWAS Plan of Action on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 in the ECOWAS region. It may be recalled that this Plan of Action was endorsed by the ECOWAS ministers of women’s affairs during the regional forum held in Dakar to commemorate the 10 Anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

She then urged for continued support of its ambassadors in their work.

Also speaking at the meeting, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment, Mrs. Naffie Barry observed that the obstacles faced by women in the sub-region in their effort to gain their rightful positions or enhance their economic empowerment have now injected a renewed impetus and an opportunity to revisit positions, and thus ensure that collective interests to empower women are vigorously pursued.

She further urged a revisit of the numerous declarations and pledges made for the welfare of women and continued work for total development and protection from economic exploitation and violence in particular. “We should use this opportunity as stocktaking, to assess the level of achievements made by the centre and where we are lagging behind on issues affecting women and children, we should find ways and means to address them,” she said.

According to her, the ECOWAS Gender and Gender Development Centre’s strategies on the implementation of the regional and other legal instruments for the promotion of the basic rights of women should be strengthened.
“The objectives of the meeting are very crucial, but key amongst it is the deliberations on ways which the Committee can be more active in resource mobilization for the effective execution of the centre and mapping out ways in which the Committee can play a stronger advocacy and publicity role in Member States in support of the centre's programme,” she said.

She took the time to explain the strides The Gambia has taken in women empowerment efforts, saying that “the promotion and protection of women in The Gambia is paramount to the development aspirations of the government of the Gambia. This has resulted to an extended task for The Gambia government to embark on continuous programme development and consultations towards the empowerment of Gambian women and girls,” she said. According to her, the successful implementation of EGDC's activities will provide economic opportunities and assist women and girls to meet their developmental aspirations.

She then used the opportunity to thank the ECOWAS, members of the Consultative Committee for holding the meeting in The Gambia.