By Fatou Saho
The Ecowas regional scholarship and transformative committees concluded a four-day meeting on the flagship programmes held in The Gambia on Thursday.
The committees had the mandate to examine and select projects submitted by the Ecowas member states for the implementation of the two flagship programmes of Ecowas gender development centre (EGDC).
This being the first meeting of the regional committees for the selection of beneficiaries and projects submitted by Ecowas member states, the committees have recognised the two flagship programmes which are: support for the promotion of young girls in the specialized technical and vocational training sector through the award of scholarships for excellence and the support programme for women processing agricultural, marine and handicraft products in Ecowas member states.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the director of the ECOWAS gender development centre, Sandra Oulate Fattoh, said the EGDC aims to provide these two target groups with the qualifications and skills necessary for their active participation in the social, economic and political life of the regional communities by implementing the programmes in member states.
She added: “EGDC’s intention is to give all the players in issues relating to the education and economic, social and political empowerment of women and girls, the opportunity to contribute actively to the effective and efficient implementation of the selected projects”.
In the keynote address of Ecowas commission’s president, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, delivered by the French permanent representative of Ecowas in the Gambia, Miatta Lily, stated that the selected programmes are in line with Ecowas vision 2050 in its two pillars on economic empowerment, empowerment of women and girls and the EGDC strategic plan.
“The equitable and sustainable development of the agricultural sector and education cannot be achieved without concrete measures enabling women and girls to meet the challenges they are grappling with,” said Miatta Lily.
She congratulated the EGDC for their efforts in achieving its mission as a specialized agency of Ecowas on gender equity and equality issues.
