By Seun Ibiyemi
Ministers from across West and Central Africa have renewed their commitment to ending gender-based violence, as they convened for a high-level ministerial meeting in Banjul on April 9, 2026.
The meeting, held as part of the Forum of First Ladies of SWEDD+ Countries on Zero Tolerance for Gender-Based Violence, brought together ministers responsible for gender, social affairs and child protection, alongside development partners and regional institutions including the Economic Community of West African States, World Bank, United Nations Population Fund, and the West African Health Organisation.
In her opening remarks, Fatou S. Kinteh, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare of The Gambia, stressed the urgency of strengthening national responses to persistent gender-based violence, calling for sustained and coordinated efforts across countries.
Speaking on behalf of the World Bank, Trina Haque highlighted the scale of the challenge in the region and emphasised the need to translate political commitments into measurable outcomes.
Also addressing the meeting, Edwige Adekambi Domingo of the UNFPA underscored the need to intensify prevention strategies, improve survivor care and accelerate efforts to transform harmful social norms affecting women and girls.
Representing WAHO, Felix Agbla described gender-based violence as a human rights violation, a public health crisis and a major development challenge.
He called for concrete implementation of policies, noting the far-reaching impact of such violence on health systems, communities and economies.
Ministers including Maimouna Dieye of Senegal and Savia Mint N’tahah of Mauritania emphasised the need to strengthen legal frameworks, improve access to justice and enhance institutional coordination.
On behalf of ECOWAS, Lilly French reaffirmed the Commission’s leadership role in coordinating regional action and called for stronger collective mobilisation.
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The meeting was chaired by Véronique Tognifodé of Benin, who also heads the SWEDD+ Regional Steering Committee.
Participants agreed on key next steps, including the adoption of a regional roadmap, strengthened monitoring mechanisms and a shared framework for action aimed at accelerating progress in eliminating violence against women and girls
