By Haddy Touray
Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have adopted a declaration committing Member States to work progressively towards achieving full gender parity in elective political positions across the region by 2035.
The declaration, adopted at the ECOWAS Special Summit on the Future of Regional Integration held on 19 July 2026 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, formed part of the regional bloc’s 50th anniversary legacy initiatives and seeks to strengthen women’s participation in governance and decision-making.
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to democracy, human rights and gender equality, citing existing regional and international legal instruments, including the ECOWAS Gender Policy, the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, the Maputo Protocol, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The declaration acknowledges progress made by several Member States in expanding girls’ education, promoting women into leadership positions and adopting gender quotas and electoral reforms. However, it notes that women remain significantly underrepresented in legislatures, ministerial positions and senior executive offices across the region.
Under the declaration, ECOWAS leaders pledged to pursue legal and policy reforms that would accelerate women’s representation in elective and decision-making positions, while respecting national legal frameworks. They also committed to strengthening democratic governance by ensuring that elected institutions reflect the diversity of society and promote inclusive decision-making.
The leaders further agreed to promote civic education, leadership development, mentorship and capacity-building programs aimed at empowering women and girls to participate effectively in political life. They also called for stronger collaboration among national parliaments, electoral management bodies, political parties, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, the private sector and development partners to advance gender parity.
The declaration also encourages Member States to improve data collection, monitoring and reporting systems to track progress towards gender parity and strengthen accountability for reforms.
According to the declaration, greater participation of women in politics is expected to reinforce peace, security and stability, strengthen social cohesion, improve governance, enhance democratic legitimacy, produce better public policies and accelerate economic growth and sustainable development across the region.
To support implementation, the leaders invited the ECOWAS Commission to provide technical, legal and programmatic assistance to Member States, facilitate regional dialogue and parliamentary cooperation, strengthen institutional capacity for women’s political leadership and establish mechanisms to monitor progress towards the 2035 target.
The declaration concludes with a renewed commitment by ECOWAS leaders to build a region where women and men participate equally in shaping the future of their countries, describing the initiative as a milestone in promoting inclusive governance, democratic renewal and shared prosperity in West Africa.
It was signed by the Heads of State and Governments of: Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
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