By 
On 13 November 2025, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) hosted a special edition of its quarterly GenderTalk Series, bringing together over 80 participants from across West Africa. The meeting served as both a reflective and forward-looking engagement, commemorating 25 years since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), a landmark global commitment to advancing women’s roles in peace and security.
The event provided a dedicated space for policymakers, civil society representatives, practitioners and development partners to reflect on progress, identify persistent gaps and discuss strategies for strengthening the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda in West Africa.
In her opening remarks, Mrs Levinia Addae-Mensah, WANEP’s Executive Director, noted that the 25-year mark offers an important moment for learning and renewed commitment. She highlighted that, although progress has been recorded across national and regional levels, significant gaps remain—especially in financing, coordination and the inclusion of women in formal peace processes. She called for innovative and sustainable approaches to accelerate implementation.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation of WANEP’s publication titled “Women Leading Transformational Change in West Africa: A Review of UNSCR 1325@25 in West Africa.” The report provides an extensive overview of the evolution of UNSCR 1325, regional commitments, progress factors and key challenges. It recognises the contributions of women leaders in mediation, reconciliation, early warning and community peacebuilding, while underscoring the need for stronger political will and better resource allocation.
The panel discussion brought together experts from ECOWAS, civil society and national institutions who shared practical experiences and insights from across the region. Panellists highlighted how national efforts to advance UNSCR 1325 rely on strong collaboration among government institutions, civil society organisations and partners such as WANEP. They reflected on ECOWAS’s ongoing initiatives to institutionalise the WPS Agenda, including comprehensive capacity-building programmes across nine West African countries, the introduction of simplified reporting tools, annual monitoring cycles, and the establishment of regional WPS Steering Groups and knowledge hubs. The discussion emphasised the importance of transformational education and community-driven peacebuilding, stressing that sustainable peace requires addressing structural issues such as harmful social norms, inequality, early marriage, exclusion and gender-based violence. Panellists also highlighted the critical need to align regional ambitions with national implementation, ensuring that WPS principles remain central to advocacy, governance and support for National Action Plans.
Discussions produced actionable recommendations for strengthening the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in West Africa, including:
- Enhancing participation at all levels, including meaningful inclusion of community actors.
- Increasing training and leadership opportunities for women in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and political leadership.
- Institutionalising WPS policies across ECOWAS and embedding them in national frameworks.
- Mobilising sustainable domestic financing while reducing dependence on external partners.
- Strengthening digital ecosystems to improve data collection, analysis and reporting.
- Ensuring real-time data capture to inform policy decisions and enhance monitoring systems.
- Regularly updating WPS frameworks to reflect evolving security dynamics.
Closing the event, WANEP’s Regional Coordinator for Women, Peace and Security, Mrs Josiane Sombo, encouraged participants to apply insights from the discussions to their WPS programming. She stressed that effective collaboration, sustained advocacy, and innovative approaches remain essential for driving progress.
This special edition of the GenderTalk Series reaffirmed the central role of women in building inclusive and sustainable peace in West Africa. As the region enters the next chapter of the WPS Agenda, stakeholders agreed on the need to strengthen women’s leadership, participation, protection and agency as foundational pillars for stability and development.
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