With a long history of a troubled backyard, ECOWAS needs to modify its strategies to ensure
effectiveness. This requires a bespoke and innovative approach to peace and security that, necessarily,
has to be gendered and inclusive. This policy briefing analyses the women, peace and security
component of ECOWAS’s peace and security regulatory framework, particularly its policy on
mainstreaming gender and its implementation by ECOWAS member states. In so doing, it hopes
to inform praxis and improve policy outcomes. The briefing argues that ECOWAS should pursue a
vigorous strategic plan for the effective implementation of its comprehensive policy framework on mainstreaming gender in peace and security. The path to this requires innovative thinking
and broader engagement with relevant stakeholders.
