West African women push ECOWAS for laws mandating gender quotas in politics

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Women leaders from across West Africa have called on Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) authorities to remove long-standing structural barriers that continue to impede women’s political leadership in the sub-region.

They made the appeal at the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA) Forum, held during the ECOWAS Parliament’s 2025 Extraordinary Session and its 25th anniversary on Thursday in Abuja.

The forum, attended by female legislators, civil society groups and advocates from various ECOWAS countries, centred discussions on the theme, “Advancing Women’s Proportional Representation in Governance.”

Participants argued that despite representing more than half of West Africa’s population, women remain significantly underrepresented in politics across the sub-region.

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Veronica Sesay, ECOFEPA President, described the gathering as a critical platform for advancing the fight for greater women’s representation in governance.

She said ECOFEPA now recognises all female parliamentarians at both state and national levels as full members, fostering stronger collaboration across ECOWAS countries.

Sesay highlighted the existing gender gap in political leadership, noting that many ECOWAS member states had failed to reach the 35 per cent benchmark for women’s political representation.

She pointed to Senegal as a regional example, with women occupying 42 per cent of parliamentary seats due to its strong gender quota laws. In contrast, Nigeria remains at just six per cent.

To reverse the trend, she urged member states to enact legislation mandating proportional representation and reserving seats for women in parliaments and other elective offices.

Oluremi Tinubu, Nigeria’s First Lady, represented by Laila Barau, echoed concerns over women’s low political representation.

She said the Nigerian government had consciously elevated women into strategic leadership roles to counterbalance the decline in elected female office holders.

Tinubu commended the National Assembly for ongoing legislative efforts to introduce gender quotas, stressing that the region must take decisive action to build a fair and inclusive society.

Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, praised ECOFEPA’s consistent advocacy for gender equality across the ECOWAS sub-region.

She reiterated the ministry’s commitment to backing programmes aimed at strengthening women’s political participation, economic empowerment and leadership opportunities.

Also speaking, Bolaji Olagbaju, Ekiti State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker and Chairperson of the Conference of Nigerian Female Parliamentarians (CONFEPA), described gender balance as a fundamental democratic right rather than a privilege.

She commended ECOWAS leadership for sustaining continental conversations on inclusive governance.

A panel session featuring prominent female leaders, including Jewel Taylor, former Liberian First Lady and Biodun Olujinmi, former Nigerian lawyer, explored the role of gender parity laws, reserved seats and broader governance reforms in achieving the ECOWAS Vision 2050.

The session ended with an interactive dialogue, during which participants reaffirmed their determination to continue pushing for stronger political inclusion across the region.

The ongoing two-week Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament, which commenced on Monday and aligns with the Parliament’s 25th anniversary, is addressing a range of issues.

These include the 2026 Community Budget, legislative reforms, political developments in Guinea-Bissau, member states’ engagements with international partners and the advancement of gender parity in regional governance.

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