Bissau: Guinea-Bissau has strengthened its commitment to the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda by participating in a capacity-building workshop organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The event, held from July 22 to 24, 2025, in Bissau, was a collaborative effort involving the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DAHS), other relevant directorates and agencies, the Ministry of Women, Family and Social Solidarity of Guinea-Bissau, and the ECOWAS Women, Peace and Security Regional Steering Group (WPS-RSG). The workshop focused on applying the African Union’s Continental Results Framework (CRC-UA), tailored for West Africa by ECOWAS, to monitor and report on the WPS Agenda.
According to African Press Organization, this initiative is part of ECOWAS’s ongoing efforts to reinforce national accountability mechanisms and data systems in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions. The project is backed by the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project (EPSG), co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with support from GIZ.
In her opening address, Her Excellency Maria Inácia Có Mendes Sanhá, Minister of Women, Family and Social Solidarity, emphasized Guinea-Bissau’s dedication to gender equality and women’s empowerment in peace-building. She reiterated the government’s support for the WPS Agenda, highlighting various national policies and legal frameworks, such as the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity (PNIEG), the Parity Law, and laws addressing gender-based violence and human trafficking.
Representing the German government, Mr. Carsten Wille, Head of the Liaison Office of the German Embassy in Dakar and Guinea-Bissau, affirmed Germany’s commitment to feminist development cooperation and inclusive peacebuilding. He expressed pride in supporting national actors through the EPSG project and lauded Guinea-Bissau’s commitment to strengthening its response to the gender dimensions of peace and security.
The workshop, facilitated by Ms. Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit, Integrated Expert on Women, Peace and Security for the EPSG Project at the ECOWAS Commission, and Ms. Edineusa Lopes José da Cruz Figueiredo, President of the Institute for Women and Children, gathered over 35 participants from various sectors. Through interactive sessions, the workshop enhanced participants’ ability to utilize the CRC tool and its questionnaire for better monitoring of WPS indicators.
At the workshop’s conclusion, five gender assessment reports were presented to the Office of the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Guinea-Bissau and the ECOWAS National Office. Ms. Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit summarized the main findings and recommendations, emphasizing transparency and collective ownership. The reports are now publicly available on the ECOWAS website for advocacy and research purposes.
Participants praised the workshop as timely and called for further training and institutionalization of the CRC in national monitoring systems. They expressed readiness to contribute to the next national WPS reporting cycle using the CRC tool.
The workshop ended with a strong call to action to move the WPS Agenda from political declarations to tangible impacts for women and girls in Guinea-Bissau and West Africa.