The ECOWAS Centre for Gender Development (EGDC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Family and Children of Côte d’Ivoire and the Akwaba Mousso Association, has trained police, gendarmerie and other frontline officers on effective responses to gender-based violence (GBV).
The two-day capacity-building workshop was held from September 16 to 17, 2026, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, with Judicial Police Officers (OPJ) from the Police and Gendarmerie, GBV focal points within the justice sector and other stakeholders involved in the prevention and response to gender-based violence.
The workshop was aimed at strengthening participants’ practical skills in preventing GBV, identifying victims and ensuring comprehensive and coordinated support for survivors.
The organisers said the training also focused on improving referral mechanisms and facilitating survivors’ access to appropriate support and care services.
Beyond strengthening the capacity of individual officers, the workshop formed part of wider efforts by the ECOWAS Gender Centre and its partners to promote a coordinated, multisectoral approach to tackling gender-based violence.
The approach seeks to enhance collaboration among the security, justice, health and social protection sectors to ensure that victims and survivors receive timely, effective and survivor-centred assistance.
The organisers stressed that stronger inter-agency cooperation remains critical to preventing GBV and improving the overall protection and care of survivors across the region.
