6.2. Women’s Rights Mechanisms (Treaties, Laws, Policies, Strategies, Campaigns

Since its establishment, ECOWAS has adopted a robust framework on women’s rights and gender equality. The Revised Treaty of Lagos includes provisions regarding gender. The Member States undertake to promote women’s and youth organisations and professional associations as a means of ensuring mass involvement in the activities of the Community (Article 61.2.c). Notably, the Treaty of Lagos also includes a provision on women and development (Article 63.) It stipulates that the Member States “undertake to formulate, harmonise, coordinate and establish appropriate policies and mechanisms for the enhancement of the economic, social and cultural conditions of women.” Article 63 further urges the Member States to identify and assess all constraints that inhibit women from maximizing their contribution to regional development efforts.411 Additionally, it calls for the Member States to take measures such as policies, laws and programmes to ensure women’s needs are met to facilitate their full participation in the social, political and economic development of the region.412

The ECOWAS Gender Policy, adopted in 2004, aims to promote the principle of gender parity, strengthen institutional frameworks for the promotion and protection of all women and girls’ rights and actively promote the implementation of legislation to guarantee these.413 In 2015, the ECOWAS Heads of State adopted the Supplementary Act on Equality of Rights between Women and Men for Sustainable Development in the ECOWAS Region.414 This is a binding instrument that commits the Member States to promote gender equality and equity. The Act addresses many areas, such as economic, social and cultural rights, access to justice, matrimonial and family rights, child rights and rights for vulnerable populations. Moreover, it commits the Members to address gender equality and equity in areas such as education, women’s access to financial resources and employment, health and HIV/AIDS, conflict prevention and management, peace-building and security, and GBV. The objectives of the Act include harmonising existing legislation and policies in the ECOWAS region into a single regional instrument to provide a basis and a standard reference for all Member States. It strives to strengthen the economic activities of women, eliminate discrimination and achieve gender equality and equity through the development and effective implementation of laws and policies. The Act further aims to increase the rate of women’s participation at all levels of decision-making in the different sectors, particularly in the political sphere, notably the processes of conflict prevention and management and the restoration of peace and security. In addition, it establishes within the framework of the implementation of the commitments made in this Supplementary Act an agenda and a mechanism for periodic evaluation at both national and regional levels.

In 2017, ECOWAS adopted the Roadmap for the Implementation of the Supplementary Act 2015. The Roadmap aims “to promote the equality of rights and life-chances between men and women by means of the implementation of priority programmes in ECOWAS Member States.”415 Moreover, it sets up five priorities for the next five years: organisational and institutional strengthening of gender-aware procedures at the national level and in civil society groups; gender and economic empowerment; gender and integrated management of natural resources; good governance, women, peace, security and citizen participation; and gender, population and migration.416 The Roadmap is linked to Agenda 2063 and the SDGs.

Another area where ECOWAS has made significant advancement and contributions concerns peace and security. In 2010, ECOWAS adopted the Dakar Declaration on the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 along with its Regional Action Plan. The Declaration calls on all Member States in the West African region to, for example, elaborate a national action plan on UNSCR 1325; guarantee and promote the systematic integration of gender in the processes of judicial and security sector reforms; promote women’s participation in mediation; popularise UNSCR 1325; strengthen measures to combat SGBV and political and security measures to protect women and girls from SGBV during and after conflict.417

Gender and health are also areas where ECOWAS has taken important steps. In 2015, ECOWAS adopted the Regional Action Plan for Fighting Obstetric Fistula, with the aim of decreasing the number of women suffering from obstetric fistulas in West Africa by 2019.418 The Plan set out four strategic priorities for the period 2016–2019: 1) the prevention of