A four-day high-level engagement between the Government of Ghana and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has concluded with a strong regional commitment to expanding political participation for women and youth across West Africa.
The consultation, which formed part of the ECOWAS 50th Anniversary Anniversary Legacy Project on inclusive governance, ended on Friday with leaders and stakeholders outlining concrete strategies to close representation gaps in political institutions.
Hosted in Accra under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre, the engagement brought together government officials, regional representatives, civil society actors, and gender advocates from across ECOWAS member states. Participants deliberated on practical policy actions to bolster democratic participation and leadership opportunities for underrepresented groups, especially women and youth in governance structures.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang underscored the need to move beyond symbolic involvement toward meaningful inclusion of women and young people in political processes. She challenged member states to translate commitment into tangible reforms that open leadership spaces and ensure that political participation is not merely nominal but strategically empowering.
Opoku-Agyemang highlighted the importance of inclusive governance for sustainable development and democratic consolidation in the region. While ECOWAS already operates under frameworks such as the ECOWAS Gender and Youth Policy, the vice president emphasized that the current low levels of representation demand urgent action and measurable outcomes from national governments.
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Ghana’s Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, reaffirmed the country’s dedication to sustaining partnerships aimed at advancing the rights and welfare of women and vulnerable populations. She pointed to Ghana’s ongoing legislative reforms, including the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act and the review of national gender and youth policies, as evidence of the country’s commitment to inclusive governance.
Regional representatives at the closing ceremony lauded Ghana for its role as host and for providing a constructive venue for impactful dialogue. The session concluded with collective pledges to adopt clearer frameworks, strengthen national legal instruments, and scale up mentorship and leadership programs that enhance representation.
According to reports, recent data shows that women hold only about 18.4 % of parliamentary seats across ECOWAS member states a figure that underscores persistent under-representation in political leadership. Delegates called for binding legislative and institutional reforms to boost inclusivity and align political representation more closely with the demographic realities of the region.
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The outcomes of the Ghana consultation are expected to inform follow-up actions by ECOWAS member states, including electoral reforms, affirmative action measures, and enhanced policy implementation to ensure women and young people play substantive roles in shaping governance and public policy across West Africa.
The renewed push for women and youth political inclusion follows persistent concerns over low representation levels across West Africa despite decades of democratic reforms. Within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region, women occupy less than one-fifth of parliamentary seats on average, while youth who make up more than 60 percent of the population remain largely underrepresented in decision-making structures.
ECOWAS has over the years adopted several frameworks aimed at addressing inequality, including its Gender and Youth policies, as well as protocols promoting democracy and good governance. However, implementation gaps at the national level have slowed progress, with cultural barriers, financial constraints, and limited access to political party structures continuing to restrict participation.
In Ghana, efforts to improve gender equity recently gained momentum with the passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, designed to increase women’s representation in public offices and governance structures. The country has also rolled out youth empowerment and leadership initiatives aimed at strengthening civic engagement.
The Accra talks formed part of activities marking ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary, providing a platform for member states to assess progress and recommit to inclusive governance. Stakeholders emphasized that without deliberate legislative reforms, political financing support, and structured mentorship programmes, women and youth will continue to face systemic barriers.
The consultation is expected to shape future regional strategies and national policy adjustments, with ECOWAS member states under pressure to move from policy commitments to measurable outcomes that reflect the demographic realities of West Africa.
