Licence: (c) ECOWAS Commission – press release; news reuse with credit. Adapted for this publication; see the original for the source text.
The ECOWAS Center for Gender Development, Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Women, Family, and Children, and the Akwaba Mousso Association held a capacity building workshop in Abidjan on September 16–17, 2026, for Police and Gendarmerie officers and GBV frontline actors.
The workshop’s stated objective was to strengthen participants’ practical skills in preventing gender-based violence, identifying victims, and providing holistic care to survivors — including support, referral, and access to appropriate and coordinated care services.
According to the ECOWAS Center for Gender Development, the meeting formed part of a broader effort to consolidate a multisectoral response to GBV built on improved collaboration among the security, justice, health, and social protection sectors.
The center described that approach as essential to ensuring more effective, coherent, and survivor-centered care.
Speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS Resident Representation in Côte d’Ivoire, Ms. Fathmah Mahan said combating gender-based violence remains a strategic priority for the regional organization.
She emphasized that eliminating such violence is an essential condition for achieving inclusive and sustainable development in West Africa, and called for continued momentum in collaboration with member states within the ECOWAS framework.
The President of the Association of Women Lawyers of Côte d’Ivoire, a member of the J4S (Justice for Survivors) project consortium, emphasized the role of frontline actors in ensuring survivors’ effective access to justice.
She said a robust legal framework is not enough if it is not applied with professionalism, sensitivity, and rigor, reminding participants that they are essential links in the judicial chain and that their actions often determine victims’ opportunities for protection, redress, and justice.
Ms. Sandra Oulaté Fattoh, Director of the ECOWAS Center for Gender Development, emphasized the urgency of a collective effort involving public institutions, judicial actors, defense and security forces, and civil society organizations.
She stressed the importance of adopting a zero-tolerance approach to violence against women and girls, and said professionals in direct contact with survivors must be able to offer not only an appropriate legal response but also respectful, confidential, and empathetic support.
Officially opening the proceedings, the representative of the Ministry of Women, Family, and Children said the effectiveness of the fight against GBV depends above all on the quality of interventions by frontline workers and on strengthening coordination among all relevant agencies.
Reaffirming the Ivorian authorities’ commitment alongside ECOWAS and its partners, she called for consolidating existing achievements and disseminating them more widely among frontline workers to ensure a professional, coordinated response that respects the dignity of survivors.
Discussions at the workshop highlighted common priorities, including strengthening referral and guidance mechanisms, improving the reception and support provided to victims, and fostering closer cooperation among the various institutions involved.
The workshop reaffirmed what the organizers described as the shared commitment of ECOWAS, national authorities, and their partners to promote a coordinated, inclusive, and effective response to gender-based violence, while reiterating that the protection of women and girls remains a collective responsibility requiring strong institutions, qualified personnel, and sustainable collaboration among all stakeholders.
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