Ceesay Breaks New Ground as ECOFEPA Treasurer, Strengthening Gambian Voice in Regional Parliament and Gender Advocacy. By Raymond Enoch
The Gambia has recorded an inspiring milestone in regional leadership, as Hon. Maimuna Ceesay was on the 6th December 2025 elected Treasurer of the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA). The vote, held during the Second Ordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria coincided with celebrations marking the Parliament’s 25th Anniversary — setting a symbolic backdrop for a landmark achievement by a Gambian woman in continental governance.
Hon. Ceesay, a Nominated Member of Parliament, is no stranger to ECOFEPA leadership. Her latest mandate extends a steady track record of service, having previously held the office of Secretary General from 2024 to 2025. Delegates say her elevation to oversee the Bureau’s financial portfolio demonstrates broad regional confidence in her competence, accountability and unwavering dedication to women’s advancement.
In her first remarks following the announcement, Hon. Ceesay expressed deep appreciation for the renewed trust placed in her. “I am deeply honored by the trust my colleagues have placed in me. I will carry out this responsibility with the highest level of integrity, transparency, and commitment. With your support, I look forward to contributing even more to our collective mission of advancing the cause of women and girls across West Africa,” she said.
Her election forms part of the newly constituted ECOFEPA Executive Bureau for the 2025–2027 term under the leadership of President Sen. Chantal Fanny Moussokoura of Côte d’Ivoire. Observers note that the incoming Bureau arrives at a time when the ECOWAS Parliament is intensifying its legislative activism on gender equality, women’s participation, and legal protections against systemic discrimination.
ECOFEPA remains the driving engine for female representation within the regional legislature, pushing legislative priorities to dismantle social, cultural, and economic barriers faced by women and girls. Hon. Ceesay’s ascension is widely regarded in Banjul as a triumph not only for Gambian women, but for the broader movement for inclusive governance across West Africa.
As the Parliament enters its next phase of regional engagement, stakeholders say Hon. Ceesay’s financial stewardship will be pivotal in sustaining programs that empower women, influence policy reforms, and fortify democratic institutions. Her election stands as an extraordinary moment of pride — a reminder that Gambian women are increasingly shaping the direction of ECOWAS’ most critical development conversations.
