Women are believed to be half of the population of West Africa and should normally get half of everything, but the reality is that they do not get half the position at the table where things have been decided. Stakeholders including women in the sub-region recently came together in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja to discuss the issue. Michael Olugbode reports. There are moments that redefine the trajectory of a region. For the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the gathering of ministers, parliamentarians, electoral commissioners, development partners and women leaders in Abuja may prove to be one of those moments. Just days after West African Heads of State adopted the Presidential Declaration on Strengthening the Representation of Women in Political Leadership in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Abuja became the stage for what many hope will be the beginning of a new political era—one where women are no longer spectators in governance but equal participants in shaping the future of the region. For decades, women have formed the backbone of West Africa’s economies. They dominate cross-border trade, sustain households, build businesses, nurture communities and mediate peace during conflicts. Yet when cabinet decisions are taken, budgets approved, laws enacted and governments formed, their voices remain disproportionately absent. The Abuja forum was therefore not simply another conference on gender. It was an attempt to answer a question that has confronted West African democracies for generations: How can societies that depend so heavily on women continue to exclude them from political power? A Historic Opportunity Opening the forum, ECOWAS Vice President, Damtien L. Tchintchibidja described the meeting as one of those rare moments when a regional organisation has the opportunity to shape history. She reminded participants that only days earlier, ECOWAS leaders had adopted the Presidential Declaration during the Summit on the Future of Regional Integration in Freetown. Far from being another diplomatic document, she explained, the declaration was conceived as one of the enduring legacies of ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary—laying the foundation for a future in which leadership across West Africa reflects the talents, experiences and aspirations of all its people. According to her, the declaration complements the newly adopted Pact for the Future of Regional Integration, both of which are anchored in ECOWAS Vision 2050—a vision of “an ECOWAS of the People” built on peace, prosperity and inclusive governance. “Our leaders affirmed an important truth,” she told delegates. “The strength of our democracies, the quality of our governance and the future of our development depend on the ability of all citizens, women and men alike, to participate fully in shaping the destiny of our region.” Numbers Tell a Disturbing Story Despite years of democratic reforms, women’s representation in West African politics remain among the lowest on the continent. According to the ECOWAS Commission, women currently occupy only 15.5 per cent of parliamentary seats across the region—far below Africa’s average of 25 per cent and the global average of 26.5 per cent. Women constitute more than half of the region’s population and contribute significantly to every sector of society, yet remain largely excluded from the institutions where national decisions are made. The imbalance, Tchintchibidja argued, weakens democracy itself. Equality Is Also an Economic Strategy One of the strongest messages emerging from Abuja was that women’s political inclusion is no longer viewed solely through the lens of human rights. It is increasingly being recognised as an economic necessity. Quoting international research, the ECOWAS Vice President noted that the International Monetary Fund estimates that closing gender gaps could increase economic output by between 10 and 35 per cent, depending on national circumstances. Similarly, she said, the World Bank estimates that countries lose about 14 per cent of their human capital wealth when women are unable to participate fully in economic and public life. Behind those statistics lies a simple reality. Countries that exclude women from leadership are also excluding ideas, innovation, experience and talent capable of driving development. For Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, that reality explains why Nigeria chose to host the forum. She argued that gender parity is no longer a matter of emotion or symbolism. “It is about national development, and it is an economic imperative,” she declared. From Endless Conversations to Concrete Action For years, regional meetings have produced declarations that gener
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