Women Development in West Africa: Spanish Cooperation Partners with ECOWAS Gender Centre for Strategic Progress.
By Raymond Enoch
In a bid to strengthen gender inclusion and promote development priorities for women, the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) in Dakar, Senegal, received in audience a high-level delegation from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) on April 9th and 10th, 2025,
for a technical working visit.
This visit was a key step in furthering the fruitful partnership between the EGDC and the Spanish Cooperation, which began in 2022. Together, they have been focusing on advancing gender equality and combatting gender-based violence in West Africa.
The collaboration between the EGDC and AECID is part of a broader institutional support project that has been crucial to the Centre’s growth. Over the past few years, this partnership has already achieved notable milestones, including the enhancement of the EGDC’s institutional capabilities and stronger collaboration with ECOWAS Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs). Their collective work has fostered the development of tools for data collection and gender inequality indicators, as well as a regional communication strategy aimed at promoting gender equality.
During the two-day mission, both sides took the opportunity to reflect on their progress, exchange best practices, and explore future avenues for collaboration. A highlight of the visit was the presentation of ECOWAS’s digital ecosystem, which has become a vital part of the Centre’s work. This ecosystem includes several innovative tools aimed at improving gender data collection and analysis, such as:
The CCDG website, enhancing visibility of gender issues in West Africa.
The ECOGO platform for efficient data collection and management.
A digital collaborative space to facilitate information exchange.
The Security Dashboard, ensuring robust cybersecurity monitoring for the Centre’s digital activities.
These digital tools have been pivotal in strengthening the EGDC’s regional initiatives and enhancing the impact of its programs on gender equality. The visit also explored new synergies between the CCDG’s strategic priorities and AECID’s areas of intervention, particularly around institutional development, the fight against obstetric fistula, and the empowerment of women.
The mission further solidified the vision for a sustainable and impactful partnership, one that is aimed at bringing about real, tangible changes in the lives of women and men across West Africa. By combining efforts to tackle gender inequality, increase access to resources, and promote women’s empowerment, the partnership between the EGDC and AECID is setting the foundation for a more inclusive and equitable future for the region.
As both organizations continue to build on their success, this working visit marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the ongoing commitment to gender equality in West Africa. With their combined efforts, the EGDC and AECID are paving the way for a more inclusive, resilient, and empowered West African society.
