ECOWAS launches project on 'support to national early warning and response mechanisms on harnessing gender empowerment as a tool for human security'

The Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E Damtien L. Tchintchibidja led an ECOWAS delegation to Accra, Ghana for the launching of the project on ‘Support to National Early Warning and Response Mechanisms on harnessing gender empowerment as a tool for human security’. The 2 day event, from 24^th to 25^th May, 2023, commenced with an opening ceremony which included welcome remarks by the Vice President of the Commission and the Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Professor Fatou Sarr, a keynote address by the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Mr. Charles Abani and opening remarks by the representative of the Honourable Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection of the Republic of Ghana, Hon. Lariba Zuweira Abudu.

The project is within the framework of operationalizing the National Early Warning and Response Mechanisms which the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, in 2014, took the decision to establish in all Member States in order to bridge the gap between Early Warning and Early Response.

The key objectives of the project include establishing operational linkages between the National Mechanisms and relevant structures and organizations in the gender/women’s empowerment ecosystem at the national and sub national levels, supporting the National Mechanisms in advocacy and awareness raising as well as ensuring complementarity with existing initiatives.

The launch was also attended by the ECOWAS Resident Representative to Ghana, Ambassador Baba Gana WAKIL, the Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) Mr. Emeka Eze, the Executive Director of the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) Mrs. Nana Afadzinu, the Regional Coordinator and the National Presidents of the Peace and Security Network for Women in the ECOWAS Region (REPSFECO), the coordinator of the Mano River Women’s Peace Network (MARWOPNET), representatives of KAIPTC and the African Women leadership Network, as well as Directors and Analysts from the National Early Warning and Response Centres, and regional Experts. The ECOWAS delegation that accompanied the Vice President and the Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, was comprised of the Director of

Early Warning, Dr. Gueye Abdou Lat and the Director of the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre, Mrs. Sandra Oulate and their respective teams.

To culminate her mission to Accra, the Vice President of the Commission paid a courtesy visit to H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana.