The United World Congress of Diplomats and the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association have called for the inclusion of diplomacy education for girls to develop their leadership skills.

The organisations made the call at the inauguration of the maiden Female Legislative Mentorship and ECOFEPA Masterclass Programme on diplomacy and parliamentary affairs in Abuja on Thursday.

The secretary-general of UN-WCD, Tunji Asaolu, commended ECOFEPA for strengthening women parliamentarians, saying the future of West African democratic institutions depends on equipping them.

According to him, UN-WCD remains committed to supporting efforts to advance the girl child’s skills in diplomacy, peace-building, gender inclusivity, the promotion of regional integration, and democratic governance to achieve targets.

Mr Asaolu urged the mentees to invest their time in values that could help build leadership skills through integrity, accountability, excellence, diplomacy, and policy innovation.

Speaking, the first vice president of ECOFEPA, Zainab Gimba, said the event reflected a collective aspiration for a more inclusive, responsive, and representative government across the sub-region.

She said the programme affirmed ECOFEPA’s determination to empower women, strengthen leadership capacities, and inspire opportunities that will uplift future generations.

“It is our prayer that this programme will nurture young leaders, diplomats, legislators, executives, and dedicated public servants to contribute meaningfully to peace, progress, and sustainable development within the region.

“The rationale for building the next generation of statewomen for legislative and executive excellence is strongly grounded in the persistent reality of the under-representation of women in political leadership across West Africa and beyond,” she said.

Pascaline Yakivu, ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo to Nigeria, advised the aspiring diplomats to apply lessons from the programme as tools for leadership growth.

According to her, such lessons will help them move towards a more defined future in which women’s voices can shape foreign policy and legislative decisions.

(NAN)