ECOWAS and Women Representation in West Africa

Abstract

Contrary to the assertion regarding general exponential increase in women’s political representation in Africa, alarming political marginalization of women in West African sub-region continues, where women manage to occupy marginal percentage of the elected parliamentarians and subsequently maintain relative inarticulacy in the decision-making process of their respective states. This article therefore examines ECOWAS as potential norm entrepreneur within the context of women representation in parliaments in West Africa. It further interrogates rationales propelling argument for women adequate representation, presents situational analysis of women’s under-representation in West Africa, and argues for indispensable role which ECOWAS could play in augmenting the presence of women in national parliaments. It concludes that in spite of the enormous domestic challenges confronting women’s representation, ECOWAS within the confines of normative actor, has a needed responsibility that could contribute to gradual overhaul of the hitherto high under-representation of women in the parliaments.