Supporting Collaboration between ECOWAS Gender Focal Units
South-South Exchange: Peer-to-peer exchange
Context: Institutionalizing gender mainstreaming in the ECOWAS energy sector is a key activity under the ECOWAS Gender and Energy program (ECOW-GEN) of ECREEE. To implement the ECOWAS Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access and the ECOWAS Directive on Gender Assessment in Energy Projects, ECREEE worked with ECOWAS Member States to develop National Action Plans (NAPs).
Fourteen NAPs have been produced already while Cote d’Ivoire is yet to develop her NAP but the process is ongoing. However, some countries (e.g. Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau) are yet to get their NAPs approved for implementation by the concerned top government authorities. Toward implementation of their NAPs, some ECOWAS Member States (e.g. Senegal and Togo) have already organized activities such as fund mobilisation. Training has also been conducted in five countries (Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia). Meanwhile, plans are ongoing to replicate these trainings across the region and to support Member States in various capacities. There are also other notable achievements being made and continues to be made independently by Member States or with the support of ECREEE. Unfortunately, some countries are yet to record notable achievements.
Based on the ECOWAS Member States’ different levels of implementation and experiences, it is considered highly important that a platform is given for the respective GFUs to interact face-to-face, share ideas and explore opportunities for collaboration toward achieving the objectives stated in the NAPs.
Participant countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo and Mozambique
Goal: The workshop aimed to create a platform where Gender Focal Units (GFUs) from the respective ECOWAS Member States to exchange knowledge and best practices and at the same time learn from each other’s experiences concerning how to facilitate and fast-track operationalization of the NAPs.
Objectives:
- to help establish GFUs where they are missing
- to create a collaborative platform between GFUs
- to exchange knowledge, best practices, and learning on GFU operations
- to foster Gender mainstreaming in the countries energy sector
- to facilitate and fast-track operationalization of the NAPs
- to complement Women and Clean Energy in West Africa (WOCEWA) initiative
Summary:
The one-day workshop was held on October 12, 2023 as a side event during the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum 2023 in Praia, Cabo Verde. On 13 October, there was a Panel Discussion Session titled “Women and Youth in Clean Energy in West Africa”. The two events were simultaneously interpreted in the three languages and were also online through zoom. The exchange provided an opportunity to outline key discussions and concerns from the Gender Mainstreaming Session, underscoring the commitment to advancing gender equality in the energy sector in West Africa. Participants acknowledged achievements and challenges and expressed the need for continued support, collaboration, and exchange of ideas toward operationalization of regional policy and programs. Part 1 Washington DC: Last week of October 2023; Part 2: Canada, February 13th – 18th 2024; Part 3: Pretoria, South Africa, March 11th – 15th 2024.
Outcomes:
- Extent of implementation of the NAPs in respective Member States was reported by the GFUs;
- The GFUs were able to exchange knowledge, and also share their challenges, best practices, and recommendations on implementation of NAPs with each other;
- The GFU members are sensitized and capacitated on improving the NAP implementation.
This exchange provided a platform to gather various GFUs of the ECOWAS Member States toward deliberation on the ways to facilitate and fast-track implementation on the NAPs. The enthusiasm and high level of interactions among the participants are among the indications of meeting the project objectives.
