ALGIERS, Algeria, May 19. UN Women West Africa Regional Office and the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today on the sidelines of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Annual Group Meeting. The MoU marks a significant step toward strengthening cooperation to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems and food security across OIC Member States in West and Central Africa, Trend’s special correspondent reports.
The partnership focuses on three key areas:
1. Strategic Initiatives for Women's Empowerment: The development of strategic joint initiatives to enhance women’s participation in food security, climate-smart agriculture, resilience building, and agrifood systems through national and regional programmes, in collaboration with OIC Member States.
2. Resource Mobilization: Joint efforts to develop and implement strategies that mobilize resources to support gender-responsive programmes in food security and agricultural sectors.
3. Advocacy: Implementation of joint advocacy campaigns to promote gender equality and women’s leadership in agriculture and food systems across the region.
As part of the 2025 workplan, UN Women and IOFS will co-develop and mobilize resources for a multi-country flagship programme focused on women’s empowerment, food security, and climate action in the cassava value chain. The initiative will launch in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, with plans for broader regional expansion.
This partnership reinforces the shared commitment of both organizations to harness the potential of women as key drivers of resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems in West and Central Africa.