ECOWAS Gender Development Centre joined an African ministerial pre-consultation in Addis Ababa that set the continent’s priorities for the 71st UN Commission on the Status of Women session, centring care work, climate action and a gender-responsive green transition.
The meeting ran from October 22 to 29, 2026, and was convened by the African Union’s Specialized Technical Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, the body the AU describes as its supreme sectoral organ for strategic direction and accountability on gender equality.
It was the committee’s 11th ordinary session.
In a report from the Economic Community of West African States, the gathering was described as bringing together ministers, senior officials and experts responsible for gender and women’s affairs from AU member states, along with representatives of AU organs and institutions, Regional Economic Communities, UN agencies, development partners and other stakeholders.
The EGDC was led by its Director, Mrs. Sandra OULATÉ FATTOH.
What the consultations covered
Discussions among African nations centred on the recognition and valuation of paid and unpaid care work, climate policies and gender-responsive disaster risk reduction.
The preliminary conclusions of the consultations called on African states to adopt public policies aimed at reducing and redistributing the care burden, strengthening local social services, promoting decent work in care professions, and fostering a more equitable sharing of domestic responsibilities between women and men.
The process feeds into CSW71, scheduled for March 8 to 19, 2027, in New York. Africa is to present a Common African Position on these issues at that session, alongside its bid to host CSW74.
EGDC speaks for the regional blocs
At the High-Level Ministerial Meeting, the EGDC addressed the gathering on behalf of all Regional Economic Communities.
The Director reaffirmed the importance of making the care economy and gender-responsive climate action key levers for social justice, women’s economic empowerment and sustainable development, framed as part of a unified African effort to advocate common priorities internationally.
Speaking for the RECs, she said: “Africa must move from commitments to concrete results that transform the lives of women and girls.
The success of CSW71 will depend not only on negotiation outcomes, but also on sustained political leadership, adequate funding, strong institutions, and genuine accountability.
Regional Economic Communities (RECs) stand ready to work in close collaboration with the African Union Commission, Member States, and partners to advance this shared agenda.”
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