ECOWAS Network of Parliamentarians on Gender Equality and Investments in Agriculture and Food Security
The ECOWAS Network of Parliamentarians on Gender Equality and Investments in Agriculture and Food Security was launched on December 11, 2018, in Abuja, Nigeria, during the Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament. As a part of our commitment to ending hunger and closing the gender gap—in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Oxfam, and Women in Law & Development in Africa (WiLDAF) — IISD supports parliamentary efforts to advance responsible investment in agriculture and gender-sensitive legislative action. Our inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogues foster the peer-driven exchange of best practices, and we provide specialized resources and capacity training to strengthen these efforts.
The Network's vision is to foster inclusive and gender-equitable agricultural investment in the ECOWAS countries that is conducive to food and nutrition security and poverty reduction.
The Network is intended to provide members of the ECOWAS Parliament with knowledge and capacities to advocate for gender-equitable agricultural investment and influence policy processes at national, regional, and international levels.
The ECOWAS Network ensures a productive forum for continued exchange across national and regional parliaments, as well as other stakeholder groups. It offers its members the opportunity to share examples of legislative and regulatory best practices and to brainstorm new approaches that can be adapted to local circumstances and needs.
Specifically, the Network seeks to:
- Raise awareness among parliamentarians about the importance of gender equality and responsible investments in agriculture and food security through multi-stakeholder and South–South dialogues and research. See below our series of webinars Parliamentarians’ Action for Gender Equality and Resilient Food Systems in Response to COVID-19.
- Develop tailored capacity development for parliamentarians on gender equality and responsible investment in agriculture and food systems, and deliver training workshops.
- Strengthen the legal and policy frameworks related to sustainable investment in agriculture and food systems through the development of research & advocacy tools. See below our story More and Better Investments Are Needed in Agriculture and Food Systems (iisd.org).
- Promote the creation of a platform (or consolidation of an existing one) at the national level to work on gender equality in agriculture, responsible investment, and food systems.
For additional information about this project’s past activities, read the following IISD Commentary. It investigates the political momentum that led to the establishment of this Network and its subsequent expansion in the ECOWAS region.
Photo: ©2015CIAT/GeorginaSmith
Related resources
Parliamentarians' Action for Gender Equality and Food Security as a Response to COVID-19
During this webinar, parliamentarians from Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean adopted a call for action in response to the impacts of Covid-19 on gender equality, food secutiry and nutrition. The declaration is available at the bottom of this page in English and in French.
Africa Launch | The Role of Parliamentarians in Enhancing Responsible Investments in Agriculture for the Transition Toward More Sustainable Food Systems in Africa
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Institute For Sustainable Development (IISD), the Pan-African Parliament, East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament will jointly organize an event on the role of parliamentarians in enhancing responsible investments in agriculture for the transition toward more sustainable food systems in Africa on Tuesday, December 15, 2020.
Europe Launch | The role of responsible investments in agriculture for the transition towards more sustainable food systems
The event is specifically targeted to Members of the European Parliament, parliamentary advisors and those who work within parliamentary contexts; participation is opened to all interested stakeholders, including parliamentarians and advisors from other regions.
Promoting Gender Equality in Agricultural Investments in Land in Africa
This conference on the gender dimensions of agricultural investments in land aimed to strengthen the policy dialogue on securing women land rights in Africa and improve land governance and food security in West Africa.
Launch of ECOWAS Network of Parliamentarians on Gender Equality and Investments in Agriculture and Food Security
Over 40 Parliamentarians from West Africa joined forces to create the ECOWAS Network of Parliamentarians on Gender Equality and Investments in Agriculture and Food Security, which aims to foster inclusive and gender equitable agricultural investment.
[EN/FR] Network of ECOWAS Parliamentarians on Gender Equality and Investments in Agriculture and Food Security: Learning Exchange Visit
This one-week learning exchange was held in Kigali, Rwanda, for the Network of ECOWAS Parliamentarians on Gender Equality and Investments in Agriculture and Food Security.
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