By Sarjo M. Camara, communications officer, reporting from US
Fatou Kinteh, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, and the Chairperson of the ECOWAS interactive session on Women’s Economic Empowerment, addressed a distinguished gathering on March 13, 2025, at 320 Park Avenue’s 16th Floor in New York, in the US.
The event, themed: “Unlocking Potential and Promoting Sustainable Development,” brought together partners, government representatives, policymakers, the ECOWAS Commission, international organizations, development partners, business associations, women entrepreneurs, NGOs, and civil society representatives.
In her address, Ms. Kinteh highlighted a 2023 UN study indicating that the world is not on track to achieve its goal on women’s empowerment by 2030, despite ongoing efforts. “It is a sad reality. We must strive harder to ensure children go to School rather than being forced into early marriages; promote equal representation in leadership and the workplace; and secure equal access to finance and opportunities for women to grow their businesses, despite being mindful of the discrimination that many women face in the socio-economic sphere,” she said.
KInteh emphasized the significance of the session which coincided with the 69th Commission on the Status of Women, the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ECOWAS.
“In as much as it is an honor to chair this session, I deem it a great responsibility to urge all of us to conduct a profound internal assessment of our respective contributions to the cause of women’s rights and empowerment,” she said, and invoked a well-known proverb thus: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”
Adapting this to the context, she added that as a region, ‘‘if we want to go fast and far, we should go together with women.’’ Minister Kinteh said economic and developmental sustainability will remain elusive without adequate attention to women and youth inclusivity.
“As we follow the various presentations and engage in deliberations, let us take note of the achievements made and share ideas on how to unlock the potential of women and youth for the promotion and advancement of sustainable development,” she urged.
She further called for leveraging inclusive trade to empower women, and to enable them reap the benefits of various multilateral trade agreements such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and regional policies like the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the free movement of persons and goods.
In her closing remarks, Ms. Kinteh expressed gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission for facilitating the platform to reflect on the state of women’s empowerment and to explore pathways to unlocking their potential for sustainable development, accelerated economic growth and deeper regional integration.
“Let us all commit to presenting a better narrative for women and their economic empowerment at CSW70, next year,” she concluded.
Interventions by ECOWAS Member States showcased national initiatives related to Women’s Economic Empowerment, with participants drawn from Benin, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Partners also contributed insights on the support provided for advancing women’s economic empowerment across the region.
