By Bertha Badu-Agyei
Accra, Sept 4, GNA – A three-day Regional training workshop on the operationalization of the ECOWAS Gender Observatory (ECOGO) Digital Platform is underway in Accra.
The training is to equip Focal points and key stakeholders in the member states of ECOWAS as well as some staff members with the knowledge and skills on the use of the ECOGO tool, its objectives, features and operational modalities.
The ECOGO is a digital platform developed by the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) for the collection, analysis, storage and provision of statistical data on the state of gender equality in the ECOWAS region to promote the empowerment of women and girls as well.
The ECOGO or Observatory has captured data from 1960 to 2023 on issues of gender in the sub-region and has 1,700 indicators including Women, Peace and Security, Health, Children, Women’s Economic rights and political engagements.
In the next one year, it’s estimated that about five million people would access the ECOGO platform.
Ms Sandra Oulate Fattoh, Director of the EGDC, said studies had shown that the promotion of gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment hinged on strong monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanisms and a robust database system.
A robust gender database system would also provide the gender statistics necessary for decision-making and policy formulation on issues which impact gender equality and sustainable development.
She said the EGDC since 2021, had partnered with the UNDP Regional Service Centre in Africa, to develop a framework that would equip the ECOWAS region to collect data and generate viable reports on the implementation and performance of ECOWAS Gender programmes and projects in the member states.
Madam Lindwe Nuwenya Mugabe, Gender Specialist, African Union (AU) Commission, reiterated the AU’s commitment to support every effort to promote women’s empowerment and gender infrastructure on the continent.
Madam Cleopatra Ngongo, a representative of the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa, said the ECOGO was the first of its kind in Africa and the AU would be aggressive in scaling it up and commended ECOWAS for taking the lead in that direction.
On her part, Madam Faustina Acheampong, Director of Gender at the Gender Ministry, who represented the Gender Minister, said Ghana was committed to Gender equality and had proved that through the passage of the Affirmative Action and Gender Equality Bill.
GNA