BY BOCKARIE ALIEU
232NEWS, FREETOWN
The UN Women Project Manger Gender Mainstreaming in Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs), Madam Mariam Gbao has stressed that gender mainstreaming is a national call.
She made this statement at the closing of a three days training of participants from various MDAs on gender mainstreaming within their institutions.
“At the head of the UN Partnership for Gender Mainstreaming, I stand here as an embodiment of the concerted efforts and collaborated partnership between the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs and three key UN major agencies and donor partners,” Madam Gbao said.
She maintained that they welcome all for the full implementation of the Gender Equality Women’s Empowerment Act through a concerted, collaborative and complimentary effort for the betterment of Sierra Leone and to support the Sierra Leone Government.
“In Sierra Leone today, we are at an historic juncture as the enactment of the GEWE Act 2022 highlights the gender mainstreaming for gender equality is no longer an option but a must; therefore, priorities should be given to its implementation as discussions take place in accelerating progress to achieve gender equality,” she said.
She particularly urged those institutions that have made significant advances in gender equality and women’s empowerment to share their knowledge throughout the workshop: their ideas and their challenges with others and how each challenge will be addressed so that others who are starting the journey will have a good starting.
She encouraged all the primary institutions to offer their lectureship to other partners of these organizations.
She wished them a successful workshop and assured that her support will always be available.
Declaring the workshop open, the Deputy Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Hindowa Boakai Bindi said that as a Ministry, they have led the implementation and enactment of the GEWE Act and acknowledged the willingness showed by the President in making sure that happens.
Mentioning that the GEWE Act has 5 parts, he said that people are only interested in the appointment aspect without paying attention to the other sensitive aspects of the Act.
He called on the participants to use the three days workshop to look at all the parts of the Act in order to capacitate themselves.
He drew the attention of participants to part 4 of the Act which talks about the formation of gender units, noting that as the major reason for the workshop.
He noted that women’s empowerment across the board is about the economic empowerment of women, adding that deliberations will seek to address how they can transform the lives of women by way of empowering them: economically, socially and politically.
He stated that after the workshop, they are expecting participants to not only spend their time at the workshop without implementing same in their various ministries.
He thanked United Nations Country Team, Un Women, Ministry officials and participants and declared the workshop open.
Director of Planning Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Ibrahim Kamara acknowledged that the three days engagement was meaningful as so much has been learnt by participants.
When we started, we set out to achieve a number of objectives and with the team of facilitators that we had, we have to a very large extent achieve our objectives.
That the work is now left with the participants to put in practice the gender analysis framework and effectively implement provisions in the GEWE Act.
He disclosed that for the past 10 to 15 years that they have been attending workshops on gender issues, this workshop is one that is very unique.
He expressed hope that the engagement will continue.
Closing the workshop, on behalf of UN Women and Irish Aid, Madam Gbao congratulated and thanked the Ministry of Gender for the successful implementation of the GEWE Act.
She also thanked participants for their time and expressed hope that they will now serve as champions of gender mainstreaming in their various ministries.
She assured that Irish Aid and UN Women will continue to support the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs so that gender mainstreaming can be strengthen.
