Latest news with #ContinentalResultsFramework
Zawya
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Guinea-Bissau deepens national commitment to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda through Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)-led in-country Continental Results Framework (CRF) capacity building workshop
From the 22nd to 24th of July, 2025, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DAHS), in close collaboration with other relevant directorates and agencies, the Ministry of Women, Family and Social Solidarity of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, as well as the ECOWAS Women, Peace and Security Regional Steering Group (WPS-RSG), successfully organized a national capacity-building workshop in Bissau. The three-day workshop, aimed at stakeholders and focal points of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, focused on the application of the African Union's Continental Results Framework (CRC-UA), simplified and adapted to the West African context by the ECOWAS Commission for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the WPS Agenda. This initiative is part of ECOWAS's ongoing efforts to strengthen national accountability mechanisms and data systems, in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions. It is implemented with the technical and financial support of the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project (EPSG), co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and carried out with the support of GIZ. In her opening speech, Her Excellency Maria Inácia Có Mendes Sanhá, Minister of Women, Family and Social Solidarity, underlined Guinea-Bissau's ongoing commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment in peace-building processes. She reaffirmed the government's support for the WPS Agenda, citing several national policies and legal frameworks, including the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity (PNIEG), the Parity Law, as well as laws on gender-based violence and human trafficking. Mrs. Cristina da Silva Pedreira, Director General of Regional Integration and Head of the ECOWAS National Unit at the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Integration, welcomed the participants, stressing that the workshop offered a platform for adapting continental frameworks to the local level and strengthening the role of women in sustainable development and peacebuilding in Guinea-Bissau. She reaffirmed her ministry's commitment to supporting ECOWAS processes in national institutions. Representing the ECOWAS Resident Representative, Her Excellency Ambassador Ngozi Ukaeje, Dr. Aishatu Morido Yanet praised the collaborative spirit that had animated the workshop and encouraged participants to take full advantage of the training to fill the data and coordination gaps, as highlighted in the first ECOWAS regional WPS report (2024). She stressed that the CRC is not just a technical tool, but an essential accountability mechanism ensuring the visibility and impact of women's contributions to peacebuilding. On behalf of the ECOWAS Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Dr. Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, Mr. Olatunde Olayemi, Program Manager for the Social Dimensions of Human Trafficking, stressed the importance of the CRC in institutionalizing monitoring and reporting on the WPS. He pointed out that the Guinea-Bissau workshop is the ninth of its kind organized by ECOWAS, following similar initiatives in Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Nigeria, Liberia, Gambia, Togo, Senegal and Ghana. 'Women and girls must be visible actors in peace and governance,' he said, adding that the CRC's simplified tool is a crucial step in ensuring evidence-based implementation and monitoring of national WPS commitments. Speaking on behalf of the German government, Mr. Carsten Wille, Head of the Liaison Office of the German Embassy in Dakar and Guinea-Bissau, reaffirmed Germany's strong commitment to feminist development cooperation and inclusive peacebuilding. 'We are proud to support national actors through the EPSG project. Guinea-Bissau's adherence to this CRC training demonstrates its willingness to strengthen its institutional response to the gender dimensions of peace and security,' he asserted. The workshop, led by Ms Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit, Integrated Expert on Women, Peace and Security for the EPSG Project at the ECOWAS Commission, and Ms Edineusa Lopes José da Cruz Figueiredo, President of the Institute for Women and Children, brought together over 35 participants from ministries, security institutions, civil society organizations, academia and the media. Through participatory exercises, group work and technical presentations, the workshop strengthened participants' ability to use the CRC tool and its complementary questionnaire, enabling better monitoring of WPS indicators in line with national and regional frameworks. At the close of the workshop, five gender assessment reports were officially handed over to the Office of the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Guinea-Bissau and to the ECOWAS National Office. During the presentation of the reports, Ms. Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit, the EPSG Project's Integrated Gender Expert at the ECOWAS Commission, provided a summary of the main findings and practical recommendations for strengthening national coordination and policy responses. She stressed the importance of transparency and collective ownership, pointing out that the reports are now publicly available via the ECOWAS website, to serve as a resource for advocacy, research and evidence-based decision-making. Participants hailed the workshop as a timely initiative and called for further training, institutionalization of the CRC in national monitoring systems, and enhanced collaboration between stakeholders. They also expressed their willingness to contribute to the next national WPS reporting cycle using the simplified CRC tool. The workshop concluded with a strong call to action: to take the Women, Peace and Security Agenda beyond political declarations, towards concrete and measurable impacts for women and girls in Guinea-Bissau and West Africa. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Zawya
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and partners strengthen Ghana's capacity to monitor and report on women, peace and security commitments through the continental results framework
The ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DHSA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection of the Republic of Ghana, successfully hosted a three-day national capacity-building workshop on the Continental Results Framework (CRF) for Women, Peace and Security (WPS) from the 10th to 12th of June 2025, in Accra. The workshop was part of ECOWAS's continued efforts to support Member States in institutionalizing robust, data-driven mechanisms for tracking and reporting on the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related WPS commitments. It forms part of the broader ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project, co-financed by the European Union and the German Government (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ. Delivering remarks on behalf of Dr Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, the Director, Humanitarian and Social Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Olatunde Olayemi welcomed participants and reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to inclusive peace and security. 'Ensuring the full-fledged contributions of women is sine qua non,' he noted. He emphasized that ECOWAS's adaptation of the African Union CRF into a simplified regional framework is key to achieving more effective monitoring, implementation, and reporting on WPS across West Africa. Mrs. Josiane Sombo, representing the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), highlighted the role of civil society as co-creators of peace and custodians of accountability. She noted that the CRF is not merely a technical tool; but a moral and political commitment and as civil society, they remain committed to ensuring that evidence-based, inclusive, and collaborative reporting is embedded in WPS monitoring systems. Speaking on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Ms. Paulina Hawkins reiterated Germany's strong support for feminist development cooperation. She highlighted that the workshop represents a vital step in localizing regional frameworks and enhancing national ownership of the WPS agenda. 'For the CRF is not just a reporting mechanism, but a strategic instrument for institutional transformation,' she added. The European Union Delegation to Ghana, represented by Davide Messina, emphasized that the EPSG Project reflects the EU's long-standing partnership with ECOWAS to promote inclusive governance and gender-responsive peacebuilding. He highlighted that the training is more than capacity-building but should be seen as an investment in a stable, peaceful, and prosperous West Africa. Delivering the opening remarks on behalf of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms. Faustina Acheampong Akua Frempomaa underscored Ghana's leadership in WPS implementation. With the GHANAP II and the Gender Equity Act of 2024, Ghana is setting new standards for institutional accountability. 'This workshop provides a timely opportunity to enhance our national reporting systems and align with regional WPS frameworks,' the representative affirmed. Over 40 participants, including government officials, civil society representatives, security sector personnel, and technical working group members, were trained on the application of the simplified CRF tool and questionnaire. Through participatory sessions and practical exercises, stakeholders strengthened their capacity to monitor WPS indicators, track progress, and contribute meaningfully to Ghana's national and regional WPS reports. The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment to inter-agency collaboration and institutionalizing the CRF within national monitoring and evaluation systems. Ghana joins seven other Member States – Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, Liberia, The Gambia, Senegal and Togo that have hosted similar national CRF trainings as part of ECOWAS's regional strategy to enhance WPS accountability mechanisms. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
