ECOWAS Launches $350m Women Empowerment Project

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission launched US$365 million Sub-Saharan Africa Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Plus (SWEDD+) project, with Nigeria among the countries to benefit.

The regional initiative for sub-Saharan Africa, SWEDD, is a concerted response by the World Bank and the United Nations to the call for action made in 2013 by the Heads of State on the demographic challenges in the Sahel.

The programme aims to address development challenges through the empowerment of women and girls in the region, initially targeting five countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, The Gambia, Senegal, and Togo.

It later extended beyond the Sahel to support other countries in sub-Saharan Africa with Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger to benefit.

Following its success with the empowerment of over two million girls since 2015, SWEDD is now broadened and renamed SWEDD+ project and Nigeria is brought in as one of the countries to benefit.

The initiative, chaired by Madame Damtien Tchintchibidja, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, aims to further address gender inequality and foster the economic and social empowerment of women and girls across the region.

The 365-million-dollar SWEDD+ project is funded by the World Bank with technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), while engaging regional institutions, such as ECOWAS and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

Highlighting its importance, Tchintchibidja stated, “SWEDD+ is a call to action for countries to invest in reducing the vulnerabilities of adolescent girls and young women, enabling them to become active contributors to the economic and social development of their nations.

“The programme will expand interventions that have already made significant impacts in education with over 1 million girls have stayed in school, supported by scholarships, meals, and transportation.”

She stated that more than 150,000 young women had gained access to job opportunities and skills training. With over 8,000 safe spaces and 5,000 male engagement clubs, SWEDD+ had fostered gender equality and tackled harmful norms, she said.

Tchintchibidja added that over a million new contraceptive users had been supported, with stock-out rates at health facilities reduced to 24 per cent.

She explained that the new phase of the programme introduced three transformative components: “Gender-transformative Interventions: promoting education, skills-building, and economic opportunities for women and girls.

“Strengthened Health Services: expanding access to reproductive, maternal, and adolescent health services and training more healthcare workers.

“Policy Advocacy: strengthening institutional capacity for gender-sensitive policies and combating gender-based violence.”

The event, attended by key stakeholders including ministers, development partners, and regional leaders, also served as a platform to assess SWEDD’s achievements and outline the roadmap for SWEDD+ implementation.

With SWEDD+ poised to expand its reach, the project symbolised a renewed commitment to empowering women and girls, fostering their active participation in development, and paving the way for sustainable growth across Sub-Saharan Africa.