Benin: Launch of the third edition of the information and awareness campaign for women small-scale cross-border traders along the Abidjan
The aim of this initiative is to build on the achievements of previous events held on the Tema-Paga and Dakar-Banjul-Bissau corridors. The aim is to increase women traders' knowledge of the legislation governing cross-border trade, existing Community initiatives and the tools developed for them, particularly in terms of border transparency and the fight against gender-based violence.
In Cotonou, the activities began with field visits, notably to the modern market and to an SME run by a woman entrepreneur specialising in the manufacture of cosmetic products distributed nationally and sub-regionally. A visit to the Sèmè-Kraké juxtaposed control post is also planned, with a view to reinforcing exchanges between the various players involved.
The official launch ceremony was held at the Golden Tulip hotel. It was co-chaired by Benin's Ministries of Social Affairs and Microfinance, and of Industry and Trade. It was also attended by Her Excellency Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, and His Excellency Amadou DIONGUE, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Benin.
Other participants included the Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Microfinance, the Director of the ECOWAS National Office in Benin, representatives of the Cotonou Chamber of Commerce, associations of small-scale cross-border traders, and technical and financial partners.
This third edition marks a major step forward in the ECOWAS' commitment to the economic empowerment of women and to improving the fluidity of cross-border trade in the West African region. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an 'as is' and 'as available' basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release.
The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
Our Rights are Non-Negotiable: How Reservations to the Maputo Protocol are Holding Back Women's Rights in Africa (By Deborah Nyokabi and Gicuku Kiragu)
By Deborah Nyokabi ( and Gicuku Kiragu ( Legal Equality Experts, Equality Now ( July 2025 marks 22 years since the adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa ( - known as the Maputo Protocol - by the African Union Heads of State Assembly. Over the past two decades, the Protocol has played a pivotal role in advancing the rights of women and girls across the continent. Yet, despite this progress, its full promise remains unfulfilled for millions due to shortfalls in ratification, domestication, and effective implementation by many African governments. Reservations to the Maputo Protocol - instances when states choose not to be bound by specific provisions of the treaty - continue to limit key rights such as access to safe abortion, protection from child marriage, fair legal treatment in divorce, and the right to inherit property. These reservations, often supported by cultural or religious justifications, have real-life and potentially devastating consequences, particularly for survivors of gender-based violence and marginalised women and girls who are especially in need of legal protection. W omen's rights are increasingly under threat from rollback Reservations against the Protocol constrict the scope of legal protections at a time when hard-won women's rights are increasingly being undermined by rollbacks around the world. In Africa ( and elsewhere, anti-gender actors are a serious threat to women's rights ( gender and sexuality diversity, and democracy itself. This concerning trend is highlighted in Equality Now's 2025 report, Words&Deeds: Holding Governments Accountable in the Beijing+30 Review Process ( which identifies how legal protections for women and girls in some countries have been weakened or overturned through regressive legislative changes, judicial rulings, and funding cuts. State reservations against the Maputo Protocol hinder women's human rights The option to enter reservations on treaty documents is integral to the international human rights system. It serves as a tool for encouraging states to ratify treaty documents with the assurance that they can maintain and protect their sovereignty. However, this flexibility comes with significant drawbacks ( to human rights as a whole. The Maputo Protocol is a legally binding treaty that seeks to 'ensure that the rights of women are promoted, realised and protected ( in order to enable them to fully enjoy all their human rights.' When states enter reservations, they effectively lower the minimum human rights standards established by the Protocol within their jurisdictions, undermining its overall impact. As a result, reservations have hindered, both legally and in practice, the treaty's ability to comprehensively improve the lives of women and girls in the affected countries. For example, Uganda's reservations to Article 14(1)(a), which calls for adequate, affordable and accessible health services, and Article 14(2)(c), focusing on protecting women's reproductive rights, has significantly limited women's reproductive autonomy and has contribute to high rates of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions, particularly among survivors of rape and incest. In Kenya, the reservation to Article 14(2)(c) contradicts its own Constitution and contributes to at least 2,600 maternal deaths annually from unsafe abortions. Kenya has also opted out of commitments under Article 10(3), which calls on States Parties to take necessary measures to reduce military expenditure, resulting in lower investment for essential maternal healthcare and social development. Mauritius's reservation on Article 14(2)(c) has prevented the provision of comprehensive reproductive healthcare. While allowing abortion under limited circumstances, imposing police reporting requirements and a 14-week limit leaves many women and girls without viable options. State reservations of the Maputo Protocol are failing families and women Countries' reservations to Article 6, which relates to marriage, enable marriage inequality and child marriage. For example, Ethiopia and South Africa's reservations permit unregistered marriages, exposing women to increased risk of child marriage and denying them legal protections in marital disputes. Namibia's failure to recognise customary marriages means women in such unions lack legal safeguards in divorce or inheritance, a situation unaddressed even in its new Marriage Act of 2024. In Algeria, the state's reservation allows for exceptions to the legal minimum age of marriage, enabling child marriage to persist under civil and customary law. Reservations on Article 7 - governing separation, divorce and annulment of marriage - restrict women's ability to seek divorce unless they meet specific conditions. Even in no-fault cases, women must pay a cash settlement to their husbands. Meanwhile, Algeria's reservations against Article 14, which outlines reproductive rights, have also fostered conditions that perpetuate child marriage, obstruct women's access to divorce, and deny rape survivors access to safe abortion. Reservations to Article 7 in Ethiopia enable non-judicial separations, with couples informally separating without going to court. This undermines legal oversight and often results in unfair property settlements and loss of child custody for women. Ethiopia's reservation to Article 21 on inheritance limits widows' rights as the state requires them to be explicitly named in a will, leaving many economically vulnerable. In the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), reservations block widows' rights to protection from degrading treatment and undermine their custodial and remarriage rights, reinforcing patriarchal control and exclusion. The SADR has issued multiple sweeping reservations, including on integrating gender perspectives in national policy, ensuring equality in family law, and protecting widows' rights. These undermine not only legal reforms but the broader societal shifts required for gender equality. Restrictions on reproductive rights further compound the oppression of women in this territory. Calling on governments to withdraw reservations against the Maputo Protocol The adoption in March 2025 of Resolution 632 (LXXXII) 2025 on the Need to Raise Awareness for States to Withdraw Reservations on Some Provisions of the Maputo Protocol ( by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights is a welcome move as this resolution will help develop a framework to guide African Union Member States on lifting reservations in collaboration with stakeholders, including Equality Now. In the face of growing resistance to gender equality and mounting efforts to erode women's rights across Africa and globally, the Maputo Protocol stands as a robust legal framework to safeguard hard-won gains and push for further progress. However, the Protocol's transformative potential can only be fulfilled if states withdraw the reservations that dilute its protections. These carve-outs deny millions of women and girls access to justice, safety, autonomy, and equality. It is imperative that all stakeholders stand together to resist the growing anti-gender backlash and hold the line in defence of equality and justice for all. Women's human rights are not negotiable. They are inalienable, indivisible, interdependent, and universal. At this pivotal moment, African governments must uphold all their legal and moral obligations under the Protocol and collaborate meaningfully with civil society to ensure that every woman and girl in Africa can live with dignity, free from violence, discrimination, and inequality. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equality Now. For media enquiries, contact: Michelle Tuva, Regional Communications Officer, Africa, mtuva@ Tara Carey, Global Head of Media, Equality Now, Tcarey@ T. +44 (0)7971556340 (available on WhatsApp and Signal) Social Media: Bluesky: Facebook: Instagram: LinkedIn: About Equality Now: Equality Now ( is a worldwide human rights organisation dedicated to securing the legal and systemic change needed to end discrimination against all women and girls. Since its inception in 1992, it has played a role in reforming 120 discriminatory laws globally, positively impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of women and girls, their communities and nations, both now and for generations to come. Working with partners at national, regional and global levels, Equality Now draws on deep legal expertise and a diverse range of social, political and cultural perspectives to continue to lead the way in steering, shaping and driving the change needed to achieve enduring gender equality, to the benefit of all. For more details, go to
Zawya
3 days ago
- Zawya
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) strengthens its strategy to make West Africa a world tourist destination of choice
ECOWAS Commission has launched a four-day technical meeting on the 8th of July,2025 in Cotonou, Benin. This meeting brings together experts from Member States to examine six draft classification standards for tourist accommodation establishments. The standards, drawn up on the basis of various workshops organised as part of the ECOWAS tourism policy (ECOTOUR), concern hotels, motels, inns, ecolodges, aparthotels and holiday villages. The event is jointly organised by the private sector and industry directorates. In her opening speech, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mrs Massandje Toure-Litse, represented by the Director of the Private Sector, Dr Tony Luka Elumelu, recalled ECOWAS's ambition to make tourism a major lever for economic development and regional integration. She affirmed that the region is striving to build a flourishing tourism industry, drawing on international best practice adapted to the West African context, with the aim of making it a world tourist destination of choice. She emphasised that this strategy is based on five closely linked pillars: strengthening infrastructure, including investment in transport, accommodation and tourist attractions; relaxing regional visa policies for third-country nationals to improve accessibility, streamline procedures and foster greater people-to-people diplomacy; the harmonisation of sectoral standards and regulations to facilitate travel, trade and enhance the overall tourism experience; the promotion of sustainable tourism practices that ensure an environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically viable industry; and collaboration and partnerships between stakeholders in the sector to pool expertise, share knowledge and develop effective solutions to common challenges. She stressed the importance of implementing a coherent, collaborative and sustainable approach to tourism in order to stimulate national economies, strengthen cultural exchanges and ensure the sustainability of the sector. In reaffirming the Commission's commitment to responsible tourism practices, she emphasised the need to minimise the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, local cultures and host communities, and stressed the importance of implementing a coherent, collaborative and sustainable approach to tourism in order to stimulate national economies, strengthen cultural exchanges and ensure the sustainability of the sector. In reaffirming the Commission's commitment to responsible tourism practices, she emphasised the need to minimise the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, local cultures and host communities. The Director General of the Standards Agency of the Republic of Benin, Mohamed Nazif El-Hadji Alassane, representing Benin's Minister of Trade and Industry, Mrs Alimatou Shadiya Assouman, welcomed ECOWAS' efforts to harmonise standards and regulations in the tourism sector. He stressed that this will help to transform the region into a single tourism market, while boosting tourism, employment and public revenue, with positive spin-offs for the economies of Member States. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Zawya
3 days ago
- Zawya
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) permanent representatives committee confers with the commissioner of political affairs, peace and security
The Standing Committee on Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) conferred with the ECOWAS Commission's Commissioner of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah on the 10th of July 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria. Discussions centred on ways of consolidating the existing collaboration between the PRC and the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security as well as the enhancement of strategic information flow and implementation of decisions by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. Led by His Excellency Musa Sani Nuhu, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to ECOWAS, the Ambassadors expressed great appreciation to the Commissioner and the Department for the strong and close partnership in working together over the last three years on matters of peace and stability in West Africa. On his part, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah congratulated the Sierra Leonean High Commissioner, His Excellency Julius Sandy on his country's ascension to Chairmanship of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and noted that the need for constant interactions with the ambassadors cannot be overemphasised. The Commissioner who was flanked by the Director, Peace Keeping and Regional Security (DPKRS) Dr. Cyriaque Agnekethom, Gen. Mactar Diop, Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force and staff of the Department stressed that high-pitched attention will continue to be paid to the work of the Department owing to its strategic role in providing responses to core issues of sustainable peace, security, stability and regional integration. He further harped on the need to have an organic and structured way of feeding into the decision-making processes that are also binding on stakeholders, similar to the arrangements at the United Nations and the African Union. 'There is a need to think regionally. We need that two-way communication between the Department and Member States. How do we contribute as a Department to make sure that the PRC achieves its goals. The forum is therefore something to embrace as it creates an avenue to exchange ideas for the benefit of our region' The Commissioner added. Members of the Permanent Representatives assured the Department and ECOWAS of their continuous cooperation to move the region forward Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
