The ECOWAS Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, in partnership with the Minis-try of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare in The Gambia, held a three-day Capacity Build-ing Workshop on the Continental Results Framework (CRF) for Monitoring and Reporting on the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda from October 23-25, 2024, in Banjul.

The workshop which held in Banjul, was supported by the ECOWAS Peace and Security Ar-chitecture and Operations (EPSAO) Project and co-funded by the ECOWAS Commission, the European Union, and German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The ECOWAS Resident Representative to The Gambia, Ambassador Miatta Lilly French, em-phasized ECOWAS’s commitment to using the CRF to bolster coordination, accountability, and WPS implementation, recognizing Gambia’s progress and commitment to fostering an inclusive society. She noted the CRF serves as a pivotal tool to capture women’s contribu-tions in peace and security, particularly as Gambian women remain underrepresented in decision-making roles.

Representing the EU Delegation to The Gambia Ms. Enya Braun highlighted how reliable da-ta is critical for advancing WPS, referencing the EU’s Gender Action Plan (GAP) III (2021-2025), which mandates progress tracking in gender equality, including in peace and securi-ty. While re-committing the support of the EU, she also emphasized the importance of women’s involvement in peacebuilding for tackling challenges like gender-based violence, climate change, and migration.

The German Ambassador to The Gambia, Amb. Klaus Botzet reiterated the importance of accurate data for prioritizing WPS issues and resource mobilization. While committing the continous support of the government of Germany, he highlighted the alignment of Germa-ny’s feminist development policy with the CRF to support rights, resources, and representa-tion.

In her opening remarks, Mme. Rugiatou Kah, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gen-der, Children, and Social Welfare, highlighted The Gambia’s progress on UNSCR 1325, with its first National Action Plan (2012-2016) paving the way for policies on gender and women’s empowerment. She announced that The Gambia is now implementing its second-generation Action Plan (2021-2025), focusing on protection, participation, and prevention and informed of the readiness of the ministry to continue collaborating with the ECOWAS Commission and the development partners to foster implementation of the plan .

On the sidelines of the workshop, five gender assessment reports were presented to the ECOWAS Resident Representative to the Gambia: Gender Mainstreaming in Elections by the ECOWAS Commission, Gender Inclusivity and Effective Mediation Processes in West Africa, Gender Mainstreaming in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), The First ECOWAS Re-gional Women, Peace, and Security Report: Baseline Assessment on the Status of the WPS Agenda in West Africa, and Gender Mainstreaming and Election Management Bodies in ECOWAS Member States.

Speaking on behalf of Dr. Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs at the ECOWAS Commission, Ms. Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit, Embedded WPS Technical Expert, emphasized the relevance of the reports in advancing gender equality and inclusivity across key areas of peace, security, and governance. The reports serve as essential re-sources for diverse stakeholders, underscoring ECOWAS’s commitment to inclusive policy-making and implementation throughout the region.

At the end of the workshop, Participants agreed to collaborate with the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare to promote the National Action Plan and also developed and adopted a framework to operationalize the WPS technical working group. The workshop convened over 30 participants from government ministries, agencies, women and youth organizations, the Federation of the Disabled, the National Assembly, and CSOs. It also en-hanced the knowledge and understanding of the stakeholders on the CRF and strengthened coordination among Gambia’s WPS stakeholders.