ECOWAS Commission lauds women for resilience amid COVID-19 crisis

3 years ago 50

ECOWAS


Women all over the world, particularly in West Africa, have been applauded for enduring the unprecedented health and economic crises necessitated by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In commemoration of the International Women’s Day Celebration (IWD) in Abuja, yesterday, the President, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Jean-Claude Brou, stated that despite the condition across the globe, women were daring just like the men.

“Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have developed an action plan for a gender approach to the pandemic in several strategic focus areas, including a recovery plan for women entrepreneurs.

“We will always need to celebrate them as a show of solidarity and commitment to ensure that they exercise equal rights as men to contribute to the institution’s work for development,” Brou said.

Typically, the March 8 celebration is an opportunity to highlight the economic, as well as social and political, achievements of women; it is an opportunity to take stock of the progress made, he explained.

Regarding women in leadership, he said that inadequate resources and the feminisation of poverty hampered their involvement in the leadership of political parties or in the society.

Brou added: “Women are still facing these challenges in relation to the recognition and protection of their rights, and the struggles of preceding years for equality, social, economic and political rights.”

“With the outbreak of COVID-19 health crisis, active women in the informal sector were hard-hit by the halt in certain economic activities, disrupting the processing and distribution of agricultural products.”

He, therefore, urged them to reflect on the security and health challenges in the region, with respect to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and COVID-19, food insecurity and extremism, as well as harmful social and cultural norms.



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