During his visits to the region , the Special Envoy held meetings with civil society representatives , including women . In April 2013 , together with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the acting head of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women ( UN-Women ) , he hosted a conference on women 's leadership in the Sahel , looking at issues involving women as economic and political drivers of change , in addition to the role of women in conflict mediation .