Outcome WCA_D_4.1

A comprehensive and dynamic set of global norms, policies and standards on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in Peace, Security, Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) settings is strengthened and translated into gender-responsive laws, policies, and institutions in West and Central Africa.

The colloquium of women's organizations from the Sahel, organized in Dakar by UN Women in November 2024, was a key moment in strengthening the voice of women in peace and security processes in the Sahel. The event brought together 120 participants, including members of women's organizations from the Sahel and West Africa, women leaders, activists, civil society representatives, government officials, and international organizations, to discuss the specific challenges faced by women in this crisis-hit region. Participants stressed the need to include women in decision-making processes related to peace and security at both the national and regional levels. It was agreed that their active participation could contribute to lasting peace and reconciliation in the region. One of the most striking results was the emphasis placed on financing women's organizations as a lever for stability. The symposium encouraged greater access for women to economic resources, education, and vocational training, while supporting their role in key sectors such as agriculture, entrepreneurship, and local governance. The symposium also strengthened solidarity networks between women's organizations in Sahelian countries, facilitating better cross-border cooperation to tackle common challenges. The women from these organizations encouraged the creation of regional platforms for women leaders to exchange best practices and coordinate their actions. The participants called for concrete commitments from governments and international players to strengthen women's participation in public policies, particularly in the fields of governance, security, and justice. They also stressed the need to integrate the gender dimension into development and conflict prevention strategies. In short, the symposium highlighted the specific challenges facing Sahelian women and their organizations while laying the foundations for concerted action to ensure their inclusion in peace, security, and development processes. The results underlined that empowering women is not only a fundamental right but also a key factor for stability, peace, and prosperity in the region. A high-level roundtable was organized in February 2024 in Chad with the support of UN Women. It focused on the crucial role of women in these processes, bringing together over 150 participants from countries undergoing political transitions in Africa, namely Burkina Faso, Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, and Niger. This large-scale event brought together government representatives, political leaders, civil society organizations, experts, and international partners to debate the crucial issues linked to political transitions in these countries. The roundtable provided an opportunity to lay the foundations for synergy between countries in transition, engage in joint reflection on the challenges specific to these countries, and share best practices in inclusive governance. Participants discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with political transitions, calling for greater support from the international community to ensure a return to constitutional order.

A comprehensive and dynamic set of global norms, policies and standards on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in Peace, Security, Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) settings is strengthened and translated into gender-responsive laws, policies, and institutions in West and Central Africa.

In West Africa, UN Women has invested in the creation of an enabling environment for women's participation in peace processes. UN Women has worked with other partners to support all countries to develop National Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 . In this vein, 22 countries out of the 24 covered by WCARO in the West and Central Africa region. UN Women is supporting NAP implementation by strengthening coordination and supporting the establishment of NAPs secretariats by ministries of gender and allocation of national budget for the implementation of the NAPs. WCARO has started to set up strong group of women with expertise on gender and DRR. They are influencing some regional DRR processes and have started to be invited to participate in the AU group of experts on DRR. UNWOMEN strategy for more impact was to focus on capacity building of actors, development of tools and guidance on gender and DRR and advocacy.

A comprehensive and dynamic set of global norms, policies and standards on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in Peace, Security, Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) settings is strengthened and translated into gender-responsive laws, policies, and institutions in West and Central Africa.

The regional office supported Chad to elaborate its first Nation Action Plan (NAP). A final version was produced and submitted by the Ministry of Gender to the office of the prime minister for an official adoption. The process was led by the Ministry of gender and a national multisectoral committee. UNWOMEN played a strategic role until its finalisation. UNWOMEN also supported Cote d'Ivoire to update its NAP and identify priorities for the two upcoming years. A three days workshop was organized under the leadership of the Ministry of gender and participants from governemental institutions and civil society organizations to validated key priorities and defined a coordination mechanism to garantee effective implementation of the NAP. Since UNWOMEN has become a full member of Interagency Standing Committee (IASC), was able to influence the policies, criterion and key documents such as strategies, action plans, into being more gender responsive, empowering women including Women Led Organizations as key actors and decision makers in the Humanitarian cycle. In relation to this, UNWOMEN now is conretely influencing the Humanitatian Country team in the different countries in the region with the introduction of gender policies, women empowement and localisation of Women Led Organizations , feminist, and organisation working on gender issues in the humanitarian sector. Including the regular production or development of gender assessment, gender alerts and gender rapide