Bissau: Guinea-Bissau has taken significant steps to bolster its Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda by hosting an ECOWAS-led national capacity-building workshop. The event, organized by the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Family and Social Solidarity, was held from July 22nd to 24th, 2025, in Bissau.
According to African Press Organization, the workshop aimed at enhancing the skills of stakeholders and focal points of the WPS Agenda. It focused on applying the African Union’s Continental Results Framework (CRC-UA), which has been adapted for the West African context by the ECOWAS Commission, to monitor and report on the WPS Agenda implementation.
This initiative forms part of ECOWAS’s continuous efforts to fortify national accountability mechanisms and data systems, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions. The workshop received technical and financial backing from the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project (EPSG), co-financed by the European Union and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and supported by GIZ.
In her opening address, Minister Maria Inácia Có Mendes Sanhá highlighted Guinea-Bissau’s dedication to gender equality and the empowerment of women in peace-building processes. She emphasized the government’s support for the WPS Agenda, referencing national policies like the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity, the Parity Law, and legislation on gender-based violence and human trafficking.
Representing the German government, Mr. Carsten Wille, Head of the Liaison Office of the German Embassy in Dakar and Guinea-Bissau, reiterated Germany’s commitment to feminist development cooperation and inclusive peacebuilding, expressing pride in supporting national actors through the EPSG project.
The workshop, facilitated by Ms. Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit and Ms. Edineusa Lopes José da Cruz Figueiredo, attracted over 35 participants from various sectors. It included participatory exercises, group work, and technical presentations to enhance participants’ ability to utilize the CRC tool and its questionnaire for better monitoring of WPS indicators.
As the workshop concluded, five gender assessment reports were officially presented to the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Guinea-Bissau and the ECOWAS National Office. Ms. Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit summarized the key findings and recommendations for improving national coordination and policy responses, stressing the need for transparency and collective ownership.
Participants welcomed the workshop as a timely endeavor, advocating for further training, institutionalization of the CRC in national systems, and enhanced stakeholder collaboration. They expressed readiness to contribute to the upcoming national WPS reporting cycle using the simplified CRC tool.
The workshop ended with a call to action, urging stakeholders to transform political declarations into tangible and measurable impacts for women and girls in Guinea-Bissau and across West Africa.