Over 100 participants from ECOWAS member states, civil society organizations, and regional institutions took part in a virtual session on 12 October 2026. Organized by the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre and UN Women under Senegal’s presidency, the event focused on crafting a regional stance on care economies, ecological transition, and climate initiatives in advance of the 71st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW71), scheduled for New York in March 2027.
Key Priorities Advocated by Senegal
On behalf of Senegal’s Ministry of Family, Adama Baye Racine Ndiaye outlined five regional priorities: financing care and support systems, addressing climate disruption, creating decent jobs for women in the green economy, strengthening data collection and accountability frameworks, and asserting West African leadership.
The director of the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre emphasized that achieving development goals requires integrating care economies with climate resilience.
Care Economies and Cape Verde’s Experience
A study conducted across ECOWAS with UN Women’s support reveals that women bear a disproportionate share of unpaid care work. The report highlights that investing in this sector fosters job creation and gender equality, outlining seven regional priorities: governance, statistical data, national legal frameworks, professionalizing care professions, and their financing. Cape Verde’s public system, operational since its 2017 national care plan, was presented as a benchmark.
Discussions underscored the need to view women as solution providers while stressing the urgency of scaling up funding for education, early childhood care, and shifting social norms.
Timeline to Addis Ababa and New York
The regional initiative aims to expand women’s access to climate finance and entrepreneurial opportunities in agriculture, water, renewable energy, and circular economies. The finalized ECOWAS position will be submitted to the African Union in Addis Ababa on 28-29 October 2026, informing the continent’s joint stance ahead of the New York session in March 2027.
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The facts in this article come from the following sources:
- 1CARE ECONOMY AND CLIMATE ACTION : ECOWAS Sets a Common Course Ahead of the 71st Session of the Commission on the Status of WomenCEDEAO · 14 October 2026 official source
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