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Background | Objectives | Topics | Perspectives | Participants | Contacts & Documents | Images
 Background
For the Sahel and West Africa Club, this meeting marks a stage in the process of achieving a more general acceptance of the gender balance issue in its work, notably in the fields of governance and conflict prevention. In this domain, it shares the goals of the African Union, the institutions, networks and states of the region which are taking measures and drawing up policies aimed at promoting the role of women in the construction of peace, democracy and development in West Africa.
Objectives
The objective of this meeting was to assess the role and responsibilities of women as regards endogenous governance and conflict prevention. The SWAC set three specific objectives at this workshop:
- Consolidate the Women’s Group established by the SWAC at the workshops held in Gorée (2004), in Conakry and at the Cotonou Forum (2005);
- Review the role and responsibilities of women in West Africa in the fields of governance and conflict prevention;
- Involve the Women’s Group in the preparation, organisation and monitoring of the Inter-generational Forum on Endogenous Governance in Ouagadougou (June 2006).
Topics
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The first day provided an opportunity to carry out a general review of the subject of “Women, Endogenous Governance and Conflict Prevention” and to situate it in the regional and subregional context, notably through an enumeration of the main existing legal instruments and mechanisms. Particular attention was given to the role and responsibilities of women in this
domain.
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The second day was devoted to the sharing of experiences between women who are active in the field of conflict prevention. Participants were able to identify the challenges they needed to take up and the actions they needed to take to facilitate their efforts and initiatives.
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Discussion continued during the morning of the third day, before the official closure of the meeting by Niger’s Minister for the Promotion of Women and for the Protection of Children, Ms.Ousmane Zeïnabou Moulaye.
Perspectives
- Follow-up to the Forum of Political Parties, the Media and Civil Society
- Involvement of the Group in the SWAC’s activities with ECOWAS regarding governance, conflict prevention, peace, democracy and women’s rights;
- Creation of a special site on the SWAC website to host the Group’s documents;
- Setting up of an electronic discussion forum on the Group’s themes of interest: first discussion on quota systems favouring women in politics and in institutions
Participants
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Representatives from civil society organisations, NGO’s, etc. from 13 West African countries;
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Representatives of the Government of Niger;
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Representative from the African Union.
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