Government and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have renewed calls for stronger political inclusion of women and young people across the sub-region, as stakeholders gather in Accra for a high-level regional consultation.

Speaking at the opening of the ECOWAS Regional Consultation on Political Participation and Leadership of Women and Young People in West Africa, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Afisah Zakaria, reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to advancing inclusive governance.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Dr Zakaria thanked the ECOWAS Commission for selecting Ghana to host the meeting.

She observed that although women and youth constitute the majority of the population, they remain underrepresented in political leadership and decision-making structures across the region. Despite this, she said Ghana has made notable strides in promoting inclusive participation.

“We are not yet there, but we have made significant progress as a country in ensuring women and youth active participation in politics,” she stated.

Dr Zakaria cited the election of Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as Ghana’s first female Vice President under President John Dramani Mahama as a major milestone in advancing women’s leadership.

She also referenced the passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), which provides a legal framework aimed at increasing women’s representation in governance and enhancing accountability.

According to her, government has introduced a Legislative Instrument to operationalise the Act, while ongoing reforms in gender and youth policies are designed to expand opportunities and strengthen youth engagement in public affairs.

Dr Zakaria added that youth representation in leadership continues to improve, with more young people assuming key positions within government institutions.

In her address, the Director of the ECOWAS Centre for Gender Development, Sandra Oulaté Fattoh, called for urgent electoral reforms across West Africa to achieve equal political participation for women and youth by 2035.

She revealed that women currently occupy just 18.4 percent of parliamentary seats across the region, despite forming a significant share of the population.

Fattoh stressed the need for a harmonised legal framework to guarantee 50/50 gender parity and urged experts to develop bold reform proposals and a Political Declaration to be presented to ECOWAS Heads of State in June 2026.

Also addressing participants, the President of the Senegal Chapter of ROAJELF Senegal, Dr Zipporah Dione, underscored the importance of regional collaboration in strengthening political inclusion.

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He highlighted the ALPOJEF EMPOWONEN project, which focuses on leadership development, capacity building and advocacy to empower women and youth to actively participate in governance.

He noted that stronger partnerships among regional institutions, civil society organisations and youth networks are critical to achieving sustainable political empowerment.

The consultation is expected to generate concrete recommendations and policy proposals aimed at deepening inclusive governance and expanding political opportunities for women and young people across West Africa.

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