Ministry Of Gender, ECOWAS Hold In-Country Capacity Building On Women, Peace And Sceurity Agenda

The Ministry of Gender, ECOWAS and the European Union held a Capacity Building Workshop in Freetown for National Stakeholders and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Focal Persons on the Continental Results Framework (CRF) for monitoring and reporting the women, peace and security agenda in Sierra Leone
In his statement , Acting Director Department of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed ⁠said that despite the normative advances, changelles still remain including weak monitoring and evaluation system and inadequate data collection which have hindered the transformative potential of WPS action plans, noting that the workshop is timely to equip national stakeholders with tools to operationalize simplified CRF tool developed by ECOWAS.
He recognized the progres made by Sierra Leone in advancing the women, peace and security agenda, pointing out that the country has demonstrated commendable leadership through the development and implementation of successive national action plans ensuring gender perspectives are embedded within peacebuilding , governnance and security sector reform
“⁠Sierra Leone has institutionalized gender focal point with in Ministries and Security Organizations, strenghtened collaboration with Civil Society organisations and priorized women’s particpation in decision makinh process at both national and local levels,’” he empahsised.
The ECOWAS Represntative in Sierra Leone John Azuma ⁠said that the workshop precedes an important regional engagement- upcoming mediation and security meeting, and the ordinary session of the ECOWAS heads of state summit
He said that the country has ensured that women’s voices are integrated into peace building, as it continues to champion inclusive governance as a connerstone for sustainable peace, noting that Sierra Leone’s commitment has been strengthened by the Gender Empowerment Act, mandating 30% for women representatrion in public and private leadership while promoting equal access to opportunities and protection against discrimination.
By anchoring Gender Equality in Law and Practice, Ambassador Azumah said that Sierra Leone demonstartes that susatinable peace and Sceuirty in the ECOWAS region must rest on the full inclusion and empowerment of women.
He stated that ⁠ECOWAS seeks to monitor reporting across Members State, maintianing that the Workshop is not only about capacity building but about strengthening Sierra Leone’s role in the WPS Agenda
“ ⁠ECOWAS reaffirms it commitment to support member states in transforming WPS agenda,” he emphasised
The European Union Representative at the programmes said that ⁠sustainable peace cannot be achieved without the inclusion of women, poining out although climate change and misinformation affect every one but they have tremendous effects on womens and girls
“⁠It’s an opportunity to link national aspiration with continental and global policies, translate evidence into better policies and implementation of the WPS agenda. ⁠EU remains is committed to supporting WPS agenda across Africa,” he added.
In her keynote address and official launch of the training, the Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr Isata Mahoi said that Sierra Leone has been a champion for women’s peace and security agenda, maintaing that Sierra Leone is the first nation to co-chair the Security Council forming expert group on women, peace and security.
She disclosed that they have adopted three national action plans on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and enacted landmark legislations such as the Gender Equality Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act, Customary Land Rights Act, the National Land Commission Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and the Child Rights Act, among others.
She said that that adopting policies is not enough, rather they must translate their commitments into tangible results from the woman and girls of Sierra Leone which is the reason for the training.
“Our focus must be that issues of women are well represented in the training and must be promoted critically,” she said, emphasizing that they should monitor and evaluate the implementation of action national plan of UN Security Council 1325 and related resolutions.