By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Ahead of the annual Women’s Day celebration, the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association, ECOFEPA, has called for a more appointive and elective positions for women in governments in line with Affirmative Action.

They made the call at the end of first session of the 2025 ECOWAS Parliamentary Seminar in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The call was in line with Affirmative Action, AA, plan for women by United Nations and Africa Union, designed to eliminate unlawful discrimination against the gender. The action plan has continued to elicit positive responses from governments across the globe.

While the United Nations recommended a minimum threshold of 30 per cent participation, the African Union endorsed 40 per cent.

So far this threshold of participation has not been met by any African country, including Nigeria. The closest to the 40 per cent women participation in government in Africa is achieved by Uganda and Mozambique.

Both countries have about 32 per cent inclusion. Nigeria’s benchmark of 35 per cent participation is yet to be met notwithstanding efforts of the previous governments.

The President of ECOFEPA, Veronica Sesay, said women needed to be given more recognition for progress and development of the West African region.

Citing the example of her home country, Sierra-Leone where thirty per cent of women occupied elective positions, Ms Sesay called on other West African countries to give women more opportunities at the decision table.

Sesay said ECOFEPA would be very active during the year with projects aimed at ensuring youth and women empowerment.

The female parliamentarians also approved a new constitution to push the growth of the association.

ECOFEPA aims to support and encourage ECOWAS community programs that promote gender-based social, economic and cultural development and supporting women’s full and equal participation in peace processes and security efforts.

Created in 2002, the Association comprises female parliamentarians of the ECOWAS Parliament. 21 of the 115 members of the Community Parliament are female, that is. 18.26 per cent of the total number

Affirmative Action (AA) is understood as initiatives which simply compensate for societal barriers that hinder women from having equal access to representation.

In other words, AA is a term used to refer to various government policies or programs aimed particularly at increasing the proportion of women in various sectors historically considered to be male dominated. These sectors include: employment and education among others.