ADDIS ABABA — The ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) led a high-level delegation to the inaugural Africa Care Forum, positioning West Africa’s care economy and healthcare sector as essential drivers of sustainable, inclusive growth across the continent.
Co-organized by the African Union Commission and UN Women, the landmark gathering in Addis Ababa provided a strategic platform to elevate care reform onto the continental agenda.
Care Systems as the Foundation of Inclusive Growth
Addressing the forum, Madam Sandra Oulaté, Director of the EGDC, emphasized the critical economic role played by both paid and unpaid care work across the region:
“Care is the invisible foundation of our economies and societies. ECOWAS is committed to making it visible, valued, and supported through strong policies, investments, and partnerships. The Africa Care Forum is an important gathering to spotlight just and fair care systems for Africa’s development.”
Across West Africa, momentum is accelerating as member states adopt targeted policies to recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care labor while improving working conditions and pay for professional care workers.
A Strategic Partnership for Policy Reform
UN Women continues to serve as a key technical and strategic partner to the ECOWAS Commission, collaborating through its Regional Office for West and Central Africa to strengthen evidence-based advocacy and structural reforms.
To support governments with practical insights, UN Women recently introduced its Care Snapshots, an analytical tool designed to deliver data-driven guidance on:
Childcare and Eldercare: Expanding access to structured care services.
Disability Support: Integrating inclusive care options across health systems.
Infrastructure Investment: Enhancing basic water and energy access to reduce household care burdens.
Workforce Support: Professionalizing and protecting paid care workers.
Elena Ruiz Abril, Regional Policy Advisor at the UN Women Regional Office for West and Central Africa, highlighted the value of regional collaboration:
“The Africa Care Forum is an important occasion to bring the advances from West Africa to the continental stage. Through our close collaboration with ECOWAS’ Gender Development Centre, we are building momentum for reforms that ensure care systems become a driver of equality, decent work, and sustainable development for all women and girls.”
Roadmap Ahead: Institutional Mapping and Regional Strategy
The forum marked an official launchpad for ECOWAS’ expanded agenda on the care economy. A key cornerstone of this effort is the Institutional Mapping of Care Systems in ECOWAS Member States, conducted throughout 2026 with UN Women’s support.
Scheduled for formal release during the 71st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW71) in March 2027, the study will provide the first regional assessment of care needs, policy gaps, and growth opportunities across both unpaid household responsibilities and the formal healthcare and social services sectors.
Along with gender-responsive climate action, transforming the care economy stands as a top priority for the incoming ECOWAS Commission, reflecting a shared commitment among West African nations to accelerate economic development through social reform.
