Bissau: Guinea-Bissau has taken significant strides in advancing its commitment to the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda through an ECOWAS-led capacity-building workshop. From July 22 to 24, 2025, the ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with various directorates and agencies, the Ministry of Women, Family and Social Solidarity of Guinea-Bissau, and the ECOWAS Women, Peace and Security Regional Steering Group, organized the workshop in Bissau. The event targeted stakeholders and focal points of the WPS Agenda, concentrating on the implementation of the African Union’s Continental Results Framework, adapted by ECOWAS for the West African context.
According to African Press Organization, this initiative is part of ECOWAS’s ongoing efforts to strengthen national accountability mechanisms and data systems, supporting United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions. The project receives technical and financial backing from the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project, co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, with support from GIZ.
Her Excellency Maria Inácia Có Mendes Sanhá, Minister of Women, Family and Social Solidarity, emphasized Guinea-Bissau’s commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment in peace-building during her opening speech. She highlighted several national policies and legal frameworks supporting the WPS Agenda, including the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity, the Parity Law, and laws addressing gender-based violence and human trafficking.
Mr. Carsten Wille, representing the German government, reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to feminist development cooperation and inclusive peacebuilding. He acknowledged Guinea-Bissau’s engagement with the CRC training as a crucial step towards enhancing its institutional response to gender dimensions in peace and security.
The workshop, led by Ms. Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit and Ms. Edineusa Lopes José da Cruz Figueiredo, attracted over 35 participants from various sectors. Through exercises, group work, and presentations, the workshop enhanced participants’ abilities to utilize the CRC tool, aligning with national and regional WPS frameworks.
Five gender assessment reports were presented to the ECOWAS Resident Representative’s Office and the ECOWAS National Office at the workshop’s conclusion. Ms. Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit summarized the main findings and recommendations for improving national coordination and policy responses. She highlighted the transparency and accessibility of the reports, now available on the ECOWAS website.
Participants praised the workshop’s timing and called for further training, institutionalization of the CRC in national systems, and increased collaboration among stakeholders. They expressed readiness to engage in the next national WPS reporting cycle using the simplified CRC tool.
The workshop concluded with a call to action to transform the Women, Peace and Security Agenda into tangible impacts for women and girls in Guinea-Bissau and West Africa.