In a significant move to redefine the role of West Africa’s next generation, the ECOWAS Department of Human Development and Social Affairs (DHAS) has officially opened a high-level consultative dialogue aimed at bolstering the participation of women and youth in governance and peacebuilding.
The three-day meeting, which runs from March 2 to 4, 2026, in Saly-Portudal, Senegal, is being organised by the ECOWAS Centre for Gender Development (CCDG). It brings together key stakeholders to deliberate on the theme: “Women and young people in governance, peace, security and regional integration.”
A Strategic Forum for Inclusive Growth
The primary objective of this high-level assembly is to generate robust discussions on the best strategies for mobilising and promoting the role of women and young people in the region. The dialogue focuses on their critical contribution to peace, security, and the economic and social integration of the ECOWAS community.
According to organisers, the dialogue is designed to move beyond rhetoric and identify actionable frameworks that ensure women and youth are not just beneficiaries but drivers of regional policy.
Commemorating 50 Years of ECOWAS
This consultative dialogue is a key component of the broader celebration of ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary. It falls under the umbrella of the initiative known as the “Summit on the Future of West Africa.”
The event enjoys the institutional backing of several ECOWAS departments, highlighting a unified institutional commitment to mainstreaming the concerns of women and youth across all sectors of regional integration.
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