Monrovia-Liberia—The Liberian capital is playing host to a week-long “delocalized” meeting of the Joint Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament Committee, with Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor calling on the regional Parliament to devote greater attention to issues of women empowerment in the West African Sub-region.
The meeting got underway on Monday and it is focusing on the contributions of Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) make to the regional integration process of the Sub-region.
VP Howard-Taylor stressed the need for more participation of women in politics consistent with confirmation by demographers that female population slightly exceeds the male population in the Region.
According to Liberia’s first elected female VP Howard-Taylor, devoting attention to women issues requires the Regional Parliamentarians to strive in implementing Article 18 of the Supplementary Act on the Enhancement of the Powers of the Parliament.
According to a press release from the VP’s office, the Act states that each Member-State shall ensure at least 30% female representation in their Parliamentary Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee comprises the Communications and Information Technology Committee, the Education, Science and Technology Committee, and the Labor, Employment, Youth, Sports and Culture Committee.
The Vice President of Liberia declared the DELOCALIZED MEETING OF ECOWAS opened on behalf of President George Manneh Weah, who is currently in China attending the China-Africa summit.
She noted that it was incumbent upon each nation in the Sub-region to take advantage of the opportunity ICT tools provide as they continue the forward march for greater regional integration and development.
“Governments will be cognizant of the many benefits this offers and hence provide the full support needed to not only operationalize this tool but make it an efficient and effective part of the integration of peoples of the region,” the Liberian VP said.
VP-Howard-Taylor has meanwhile commended Ambassador ‘Tunde Ajisomo, Special Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission and his Team for ensuring that the systems for security monitoring and communications are fully operational, in spite of looming challenges of financial support urgently needed.
She also praised the ECOWAS Parliament for again hosting its Delocalized Parliamentary meeting in Liberia, stressing that this is indicative of the recognition of Liberia’s role in the Sub-region.
“Equally important to emphasize is the laudable role of the ECOWAS Parliament in conflict resolution and election monitoring in the sub-region, among others. We are pleased that the ECOWAS Parliament, under the able leadership of the Speaker, recently mediated in resolving the Parliamentary crisis in Sierra Leone, following the keenly contested Presidential election in the country”, the VP remarked in her opening address.
According to her, as a Parliamentarian with more than 12 years’ experience in the Liberian Senate as well as the incumbent President of the Senate, she was pleased to congratulate the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, and all the ECOWAS Parliamentarians and the officials of the Parliament, on the adoption of the Supplementary Act on Enhancement of the Powers of the ECOWAS.
The meeting is being held under the Theme, “Contribution of ICTs to the Regional Integration Process – Status of Implementation, challenges and prospects of an ECOWAS Community Radio and Television Station.”