Advancing Young Women’s Leadership Across the ECOWAS Region
A Regional Platform Strengthening Gender-Responsive Governance, Youth Participation, and Institutional Coordination Across ECOWAS Member States
Women’s Economic Empowerment
Advancing economic inclusion through skills development, policy advocacy, and regional coordination.
Institutional Positioning
ROAJELF operates as a regional coordination and policy engagement platform bridging grassroots female leadership with ECOWAS institutions, national governments, civil society networks, and development partners.
The network contributes to implementation of regional gender and youth frameworks through structured dialogue, capacity strengthening, evidence-based advocacy. and works in coordination with the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC), national institutions, civil society networks, youth platforms, and development partners to strengthen the participation of young women in governance and regional integration processes.
A strategic partner supporting implementation of gender-responsive governance frameworks
A policy intermediary between grassroots actors and regional institutions
A regional coordination mechanism for young female leaders
Strategic Relevance
Regional Institutional Representation
ROAJELF ensures that young women are not peripheral to regional governance processes but structurally represented within policy dialogues, consultative platforms, and implementation frameworks across ECOWAS Member States. It institutionalizes youth and gender inclusion within regional decision-making architecture.
Policy-to-Community Integration
ROAJELF bridges regional commitments with grassroots realities by facilitating structured engagement between institutions and emerging female leaders. This integration strengthens accountability, enhances policy responsiveness, and supports sustainable implementation of gender and youth frameworks.
Regional Executive Leadership
ROAJELF’s Executive Leadership provides strategic direction, institutional oversight, and regional representation across ECOWAS Member States. Comprising elected and appointed officers with demonstrated expertise in governance, policy, and development, the Executive ensures alignment with regional frameworks, organizational accountability, and the effective delivery of the network’s mandate.
Luania Correia
Regional President, ROAJELF (Guinea Bissau)
Isatou M. Secka
Regional Vice President, ROAJELF (The Gambia)
Anita Bangura
2nd Regional Vice President, ROAJELF (Sierra Leone)
Awetu Hope Gabriel
Regional Executive Director / Head of Secretariat (Nigeria)
Lenise Vaz
Regional Treasurer, ROAJELF (Cabo Verde)
Patricia Z. Gaye
Regional Communication and Advocacy Officer (Liberia)
The Regional Context
(Data sourced from IPU, UN DESA, World Bank Gender Data.)
Women’s Parliamentary Representation in West Africa
This highlights the structural underrepresentation of women in legislative decision-making within the ECOWAS region and reinforces ROAJELF’s focus on political participation and governance reform.
Women’s Labour Force Participation Gap
Women in Sub-Saharan Africa participate in the labour force at roughly 20–25 percentage points lower access to formal employment compared to men. This supports ROAJELF’s Women’s Economic Empowerment pillar
Youth Population Share in West Africa
Over 60% of West Africa’s population is under the age of 25. This underscores the strategic importance of youth-inclusive governance and strengthens ROAJELF’s positioning as a Youth, Peace & Security and governance platform.
Regional Alignment
ROAJELF aligns its strategic framework with:
ECOWAS Gender Policy
[EN] Supplementary Act
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[EN] Gender Policy in GB
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[EN] Gender Inequality Report en-GB
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[EN] ACTION PLAN For WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY 2017 – 2020
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EN - Policy Brief EGDC
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ECOWAS Vision 2050
ECOWAS 2050 VISION - ECOWAP
ECOWAS Vision 2050 is the reflection of ECOWAS’ long-term development ambitions
African Union Agenda 2063
AGENDA 2063 is Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. It is the continent’s strategic framework that aims to deliver on its goal for inclusive and sustainable development and is a concrete manifestation of the pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance.
Continental Youth, Peace & Security frameworks
Continental Framework for Youth, Peace and Security
Youth, Peace and Security refers to “conscious actions and processes to protect young people from participation in, and the ill effects of, violent conflicts and insecurity, and to promote and support their contributions to peace efforts in conflict and post-conflict situations
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The network contributes to implementation through coordinated regional action and institutional partnerships.
Regional Impact
Regional Coverage
Presence across ECOWAS Member States through national chapters and thematic working groups
ESG Inclusion
Programmes advancing financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and policy dialogue on women’s economic & political empowerment.
Leadership Development
Youths reached through Structured regional leadership academies and mentorship platforms.
Peace & Security Engagement
Youth-led initiatives supporting conflict prevention and inclusive peacebuilding.
Engage with Roajelf
ROAJELF – Network of Young Female Leaders (ECOWAS Chapter)
A Structured Regional Platform Advancing Inclusive Leadership and Governance in West Africa.
Partner With Us
Support Regional Gender Advancement
Join the Network
Collaborate on Policy Initiatives
Partners and Sponsors
Member States
