BREAKING: ECOWAS unveils $365m initiative to empower women, girls

The Economic Community of West African States on Monday, launched the Sub-Saharan Africa Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Plus project, a $365m initiative aimed at transforming the lives of women and girls across the region.

The programme, funded by the World Bank, will focus on gender equality, healthcare, and economic empowerment in five participating countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, The Gambia, Senegal, and Togo.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja, ECOWAS Vice-President Madam Damtien Tchintchibidja described the project as a game-changer in addressing gender disparities and unlocking the potential of women and girls to contribute to regional development.

She emphasised that investing in women and girls is critical to achieving sustainable growth and social progress.

“The SWEDD+ project is funded by the World Bank Group to the tune of 365 million USD covering at this initial phase five countries namely – Burkina Faso, Chad, The Gambia, Senegal, and Togo, in two Regional Economic Communities, ECOWAS and ECCAS – Economic Community of Central African States. This is a testament to the World Bank’s commitment to supporting Africa’s development agenda.

“This project represents a significant milestone in our collective efforts to unlock the full potential of women and girls in our region.

“Women and girls are the backbone of our societies, and for that reason, their empowerment is crucial to achieving sustainable development, economic growth, and social progress,” she said.

In his remarks, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Mohammed Pate, announced the training of over 120,000 frontline health workers as part of its efforts to improve population health outcomes in Nigeria.

Pate, who was represented by the Director and Head of the Department of Health Planning, Research, and Statistics, Kamil Shoretire said, “The ministry is enhancing population health outcomes, expanding workforce capacity, and improving access to reproductive health services.

“Over 120,000 frontline workers are being trained with a strong emphasis on reproductive health interventions, family Planning Programmes, and recognising the importance of family planning.”

He described the SWEDD+ project as a significant step toward improving the education, health, and economic opportunities available to young women and girls across Africa.

Pate revealed that the ministry was working on several initiatives, including improving access to reproductive health services and family planning programmes.

“It aligns perfectly with our shared commitment to empowering our young women and girls. The subject of enhancing our demographic dividends has been a prominent topic of discussion in recent times. Africa’s regional population holds immense potential.

“The SWEDD+ Project, is therefore a timely and much-needed intervention in Nigeria, we are actively working to address our demographic dividend by investing in our youth, several initiatives have been launched to maximise the potential of our youth populations for economic and social development,” he noted.

The SWEDD+ project builds on the success of previous initiatives under the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend project, which has positively impacted over two million women and girls in the last decade.