Empowering our Mothers [women]

EGDC Empowers Women Through Economic Opportunities

The ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC), through its activities in the region has been empowering women by providing technical and financial support to them to start and manage their own business.

“The Gender Centre [EGDC] also provided technical and financial support to women engaged in processing of agriculture 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 small businesses,” said, the Director of the Centre, Mrs Aminata Dibba, during an encounter with this reporter.

“But the year was also fulfilling because, in spite of the staffing constraints, the Gender Centre succeeded in strengthening the foundations of achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment in the ECOWAS region. The Centre [ECDC] was able to consolidate its Scholarship of Excellence for Girls programme in all but three member states as well as its programme of support to girls and women suffering from obstetrics fistula.”

According to her, the institution also provides technical support and advisory services to national gender machineries of ECOWAS member states.
“It also assisted some ECOWAS member states with regards to the harmonization of their national gender policies, strategies and programmes and provides support to civil society organisations working in the area of gender development.”

She highlights that her institution also succeeded in providing financial and technical support to other Networks in the Sub-region with the view of these stakeholders setting up their regional secretariats and to begin functioning effectively.

Speaking further on how her institution is empowering women in meeting their goals, she said: “We do a lot of activities with strategic partners in ensuring the advancement of economic advancement of women in the sub-region and the adoption of the ECOWAS Plan of Action on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 in the ECOWAS region.”
“We provide technical advice and support to women entrepreneur programmes. We had an intervention in the area of cross-boarder trade, because women are more involve than men in this act [cross-boarder trade].”

Nafffie Barry, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment, also highlights the need for women to renew their impetus in ensuring that their dream for empowerment is realized. “In the sub-region, the constraints affecting our women to gain their rightful positions or enhance their economic empowerment, have now injected a renewed impetus and an opportunity for us to revisit our position, thus ensuring that our collective interest to empower women are vigorously pursued.”

She noted that the complete implementation of EGDC’s activities would provide economic opportunities and assist women and girls to meet their developmental aspiration.

She added that the establishment of a Committee to assist the Centre on its work to advocate and lobby on issues that affect women and children, peace and security in the sub-region per se would enable women to participate in development activities and to meet their economic and social objectives.