ECOWAS, Ministry of Women Launch Projects to Empower Women, Girls

Key Points

• ECOWAS and MoGCSP launched four projects aimed at empowering women and girls across West Africa.
• The flagship initiative provides medical and financial support to women with obstetric fistula and scholarships for young girls.
•  Over 20,000 women are benefiting from a digital platform that offers financial services, training, and business opportunities.

The ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC), in conjunction with the Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP), has established four projects aimed at improving women and girls’ access to fundamental social services, particularly in education and health.

Four new projects to support women and girls  

According to a report by Graphic Online, the EGDC’s flagship program, “Human Capital Development and Women’s Empowerment,” includes four programs: “Medical and financial support for women and girls suffering from obstetric fistula in ECOWAS Member States,” “Support for the promotion of young girls in specialised technical and professional training through the provision of scholarships,” “Support for women processors of agricultural, fishery, and craft products,” and “The 50 Million African Woman S.”

Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, said the four projects, which were launched in Accra last Friday, would assist in strengthening women and girls across the continent. 

Sandra Oulate Fattoh, Director of EGDC, stated that the four projects sought to boost women’s socioeconomic development in the ECOWAS region by providing support mechanisms to reduce restraints and impediments to accessing economic opportunities.

This program, she said, also aimed to create a favorable environment for the development of human and economic capacities of women and youth in the region.

She added that the EGDC’s ‘Human Capital Development and Women’s Empowerment’ program included two sub-programmes primarily aimed at improving the well-being of women, girls, and boys in member states, particularly access to healthcare and quality education, and economic empowerment through access to resources.

Digital platform empowering women with financial resources  

Faustina Acheampong, Director of Gender at the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, representing sector Minister Dakoa Newman, stated that the inauguration of the four projects would help improve women’s engagement in national development. 

Victoria Nyavor, a representative from MoGCSP, stated in a presentation on the ministry’s four programmes that 155 women have been mobilised to benefit from medical and financial support for women and girls suffering from obstetric fistula and integrated back into their communities.

She also stated that as part of the 50 million African Women Speak project, over 20,000 women around the country are currently benefiting from a digital platform meant to provide women with information on financial products and services, business training, mentoring, commercial opportunities, and other topics.