Gender Equality: EGDC and AECID Define New Action Priorities

The ECOWAS Centre for Gender Development (EGDC) hosted a delegation on 20 October 2026 at its headquarters in Dakar, Senegal, led by the head of the AECID office in Nigeria and with ECOWAS. The working session allowed both parties to review the status of their collaboration and agree on new strategic directions to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the West African regional space.

A Shared Framework Focused on Institutional Support and Health

The operational partnership between the EGDC and AECID has so far rested on two central pillars. The first concerns the institutional support project directly granted to the regional centre to strengthen its governance and intervention capacities. The second focuses on the obstetric fistula care project supported by AECID, currently implemented in four West African countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and Senegal.

During discussions, EGDC Director Sandra Oulaté Fattoh praised the impact of Spanish cooperation support. She noted that AECID’s regular accompaniment had enhanced the institutional capacities of the regional body and ensured targeted initiatives, such as the obstetric fistula project, to address persistent challenges faced by women and girls in the region.

Care Economy and Regional Climate Transition

Beyond monitoring ongoing field interventions, the Dakar meeting served to define new joint work priorities. Discussions centered on integrating two new axes: the care economy (the economy of care and assistance) and the regional climate action and gender-sensitive green economy program. These two initiatives were identified by partners as key levers to foster women’s economic empowerment, strengthen community resilience, and support sustainable development within the ECOWAS region.

AECID representatives reaffirmed their commitment to supporting ECOWAS initiatives for women’s rights and gender equality. They also expressed interest in developing regional programs in these emerging areas, emphasizing the need to link climate resilience to women’s socio-economic activities.

Toward a Second Institutional Phase and the December 2026 Deadline

At the conclusion of the consultation meeting, the EGDC and AECID agreed to continue technical discussions aimed at formulating and structuring the second phase of the institutional support project for the centre. Both organizations plan to give central importance to the care economy in future planned activities, recognizing it as a domain generating measurable social and economic impacts.

The joint agenda of the two institutions also includes preparations for an upcoming sectoral event. The EGDC and AECID confirmed their joint participation in the 10th Global Conference on Obstetric Fistula, scheduled for Dakar from 14 to 19 December 2026.