ECOWAS Institutions Synergise To Strengthen Gender Mainstreaming In Development Projects
Princess-Ekwi Ajide (ABS Abuja Bureau Chief)
In an effort to strengthen gender mainstreaming in development projects, especially agricultural development projects in West Africa, t5t6 5656t ttttt 5555he ECOWAS Center for Equity in Development ( ECGD ) and the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) held their first working session in Lomé, Togo to explore opportunities for cooperation between the two institutions.
The workshop held at RAAF Headquarters provided an opportunity to discuss possible areas of cooperation between the two organisations to maximise synergy in their respective projects.
Representatives from both delegations, including leaders, explored areas of synergy based on current and future ECGD and RAAF projects with special attention on projects related to the empowerment of rural women and food and nutrition security.
Building on their comparative advantages, ECGD and RAAF agreed to pool their resources and capabilities to strengthen the impact of their initiatives on the ground and develop joint initiatives linking gender and youth issues.
Both sides also agreed on the importance of training rural women in modern agricultural techniques and management to make them more independent.
It is expected that cooperation projects would help support the sustainability of rural communities, encourage the promotion of local products in school and community feeding programmes, and increase the appreciation of women’s work in agricultural value chains.
At the end of the discussion, the organizations agreed to continue their discussions to precisely define in what form the desired cooperation could take place.
This deeper discussion according to a statement by the ECOWAS Communications Directorate, will allow concrete projects to be launched as soon as possible, connecting and involving both organisations.