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Brief description
The Department of
Gender Development, Youth/Sports, Civil Society, Employment and Drug Control was
one of the two newly created departments from the former department of Human
Development.
PROGRAMMES OF THE
DEPARTMENT
Gender Development Programme
Gender
mainstreaming, a crosscutting issue has taken a global thrust and is now at the
centre of all developmental issues and agenda. ECOWAS is consistently conscious
of women’s economic empowerment as key to development and has thus repositioned
gender issues for injection into its frameworks and initiatives.
The ECOWAS Gender
Policy development process embarked upon since 2000 took a historic turn in
2003, with the finalization of the draft Gender policy document. At the January
2003 Summit in Dakar, the Authority approved the establishment of a Gender
Technical Commission a Gender Division within the Executive Secretariat, and the
transformation of WAWA into ECOWAS Gender Development Centre. These
unprecedented decisions established ECOWAS as a leader in gender matters and
provided the necessary structures and frameworks for Gender mainstreaming.
Furthermore, the meeting of the Council of Ministers held in July 2004
strengthened the gender programme, by adopting the Gender policy document, the
administrative structure of the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre, a Strategic
Plan framework and guidelines on the structures and mechanisms of the Gender
Management Systems (GMS) for ECOWAS. The result of these processes has placed
ECOWAS on a solid pedestal for the effective mainstreaming of gender issues in
the region.
Objectives
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To mobilize women and empower them to be active participants
in the regional integration process;
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To mainstream Gender in ECOWAS institutions and member
States;
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To develop networks and partnership with relevant agencies
for technical and financial support for ECOWAS Gender mainstreaming programme.
Justification
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Article 63 of ECOWAS Revised Treaty on women and Development;
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Recommendation of the meeting of Ministers of Women Affairs
of ECOWAS Member States held in Abuja, 9th December, 2002;
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Decision A/DEC.16/01.3 relating to the transformation of the
West African Women Association (WAWA) into the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre;
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Decision A/DEC.7/12/03 on the establishment of an ECOWAS
Technical Commission to address issue relating to Gender Equality.
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Regulation C/REG.14/12/03 on the establishment of a Unit for
Gender Child and Youth matters within the Human Development Department of the
Executive Secretariat of ECOWAS.
Contact Persons in
member states:
-
Minister of Women Affairs
Key Current
Activities 2008
Activity I
Development of
Regional Policy and Advocacy on Sexual Harassment (an aspect of Gender-based
Violence) in the Working Place and Educational Institutions.
Preamble:
One of the critical areas of
concern in the Beijing Platform for Action is how to address the issue of
Violence against women. According to Beijing Platform for Action, paragraph 112:
In all societies,
to a greater or lesser degree, women and girls are subjected to physical, sexual
and psychological abuse that cuts across lines of income, class and culture….
Violence against women both violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment by
women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
There is abundant
evidence of Gender differentials in the experience of violence within the
family, in the general community, as perpetrated and condoned by the state,
during peace and in war times. Even during peace period women of all
socio-economic classes are still confronted with various degrees of violence
such as domestic violence. In essence the violence women suffer during wars is
an extreme manifestation of the discrimination and abuse women face in peacetime
and the unequal power relations between men and women in most societies. In
peacetime such attitudes contribute to the widespread acceptance of domestic
violence, rape and other forms of sexual abuse against women. During conflicts
and wars these habitual attitudes and abuses take on new dimensions and
distinctive patterns and all forms of violence increase including rape and other
forms of sexual violence against women.
Gender-based
Violence limits women's possibilities for independence, the exercise of their
human rights and it does not only undermine women's security at home but also
their overall self-development. The issues involved in Gender-based Violence
affect the rights of the women, the rights of the girl-child, the rights to
health and the rights to development. It also has a significant impact on
reproductive health in terms of maternal morbidity and mortality, the physical
and mental well-being of women.
Sexual harassment
is an important aspect of Gender-based Violence. The United Nations development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM) defines sexual harassment as an unwelcome or unwanted
verbal, non-verbal; physical or visual conduct based on sex or of a sexual
nature; the acceptance or rejection of which affects an individual’s
activities”. Most victims of sexual harassment are women and girls.
The objectives of the Regional Policy and advocacy strategies are:
-To do a situational analysis of the issues involved in member states;
-To harmonise relevant policies and laws in member states; and
-To engage all
stakeholders in proposing appropriate advocacy strategies.
YOUTH PROGAMME
The youth of every
nation constitute a force that cannot be ignored. They occupy the productive
age and thus must be mobilized to achieve the much desired progress and
development. ECOWAS is unequivocally committed to harnessing the potentials of
its youth in its integration drive. This was the primary motive behind the
organisation of the First ECOWAS Youth Forum held from 10th - 16th
August 2003, Abuja, Nigeria. The forum provided Youths drawn from West Africa
and other Regional Economic Communities, an opportunity to dialogue, interact,
share experiences and learn lessons that would develop their capacities as they
yearn to contribute effectively to the economic, social and cultural integration
of the region.
It was an event
all participants and observers agreed was an indispensable platform that could
impact positively on Youth in the region, in asserting their role as major
stakeholders in development and progress.
In expressing
their gratitude to ECOWAS for the foresight of organising the forum, in the
final communiqué read at the end of the meeting, the Youth recommended that it
should be made an Annual event to be rotated among Member States.
The ECOWAS
authority also created a Youth Centre currently based in Burkina-Faso.
Objectives
To mobilise youth
to contribute effectively to economic, social and cultural development and
integration of the region.
Justification
i)
Recommendation A/REC.1/5/83 on the mobilisation of the
various sections of the population in the integration process;
ii)
Article 6, on Social Affairs of the Revised Treaty, which
provides for the promotion of Women and Youth organisations and professional
associations as a means of ensuring mass involvement in the activities of the
Community;
iii)
Abuja Youth Development and Empowerment Strategy Communiqué
adopted by Youths to the First ECOWAS Youth Forum, 10-16 August, 2003;
Key Activities
2008
Publication and
wide dissemination of the Policy and Strategic Plan of Action (2 documents) in
French and English
Implementation of
the various recommendations from the Youth Forum, meetings of the ECOWAS
National Directors of Youth and Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME
ECOWAS Child
development programme is devoted to the improvement of the quality of lives of
children, enhance their dignity, protect their inalienable rights, giving
attention to their physical, mental, moral and spiritual development and
welfare. Early childhood development activities, including appropriate low cost
family and community-based intervention is seen as indispensable to the
progressive future development of the Child of the region.
Objectives
I.
To facilitate the development, welfare and rights of children
in the region.
II.
To develop programmes that would promote the welfare and
rights of children
III.
To ensure Member States adherence to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child
IV.
To strengthen the capacities of Social Services providers and
other child care agencies for the greater development, protection and care of
children.
Justification
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Recommendation A/REC.1/5/83 on the mobilisation of the
various sections of the population in the integration process;
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UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - 1989;
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African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child –
1990;
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Accra Declaration on war-affected Children in West Africa –
2000.
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Dakar Declaration on Decade of Child with ECOWAS - 2001
Key Activities
2008
§
Publication and wide dissemination of the Policy and
Strategic Plan of Action (2 documents);
§
Development of Flagship Projects on Child Development;
THE ECOWAS YOUTH
AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE:
The Twenty-eighth
session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held in Accra on 19th
January 2005, took the Decision (A/DEC/13/01/05) to transform the Conference of
Ministers of Youth and Sports to the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre.
ECOWAS Youth and
Sports Development Centre is a specialized institution of the Economic Community
of West African States charged with the responsibility for Youth and Sports
Development in the West-African sub-region. The Centre is to initiate, develop,
coordinate, monitor and implement Programmes concerning youths and sports
development within the Community.
Objectives of the
Centre:
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To encourage young’s people’s initiative, enterprise and
creativity so that they may take an active role in the ECOWAS community.
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To address current and emerging youth problems in the
sub-region.
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To promote youth social-professional and economic integration
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To promote, initiate and encourage sporting activities in the
community.
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To research and address gender-specific youth discriminations
in the Community
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To establish partnerships and cooperation with relevant
organizations in member states, and at the regional and international levels.
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To reinforce cooperation in the field of youth and sports by
fostering the exchange of best practices, training and the development of
innovative actions at the Community level.
ECOWAS GENDER AND
DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
At the January
2003 Summit in Dakar, the Authority approved the establishment of a Gender
Technical Commission a Gender Division within the Executive Secretariat, and the
transformation of WAWA into ECOWAS Gender Development Centre.
Objectives of the
Centre
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Work with
Member States to implement the Gender Policy and Strategic Plan
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Research into
gender issues
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Work with
Member States to collect, collate and analyse sex-disaggregated data
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Conduct
sensitisation, training and capacity building in Member States
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Perform an
advocacy role
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Network and
form partnerships with Civil Society
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To disseminate
information through various media including a news letter
Drug Control and
Civil Society Organisations [CSO].
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Develops policies and strategies that address drug
control issues within the region.
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Coordinates drug control and civil society activities in
member states and generate balanced projects and programmes which are
responsive to the socio – economic needs of member states and the region as
a whole.
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Assists in building and sustaining collaboration with
regional economic communities, development partners and donor agencies to
support national and regional initiatives to strengthen drug control and
civil society issues through strategic advocacy and capacity building
strategies.
Key Activities for
2008
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Sensitization and capacity building workshop for Civil
Society organizations and forum of associations recognized by ECOWAS (FARE)
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Meeting of coordinators of national inter-ministerial
drug control committee.
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Regional meeting of ministers and experts from member
states to adopt the new regional plan of action against drug trafficking and
money laundering.
Objectives of
activities for 2008
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To sensitize civil society organizations on issues
affecting the region in governance, agriculture and food security, trade and
commerce and other related issues and to assist build their capacities to
access available funds and other developmental instruments.
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Formulate and adopt a new regional plan of action to
combat drug trafficking and money laundering.
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