A two-day training workshop on gender mainstreaming has been held for selected stakeholders in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.
The West Africa Governance and Economic Sustainability in Extractive Areas (WAGES), in collaboration with the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) and the Prestea Huni Valley Assembly, organized the training.
The training, which took place in Bogoso, was attended by heads of departments, sub-committees, urban and area council Chairperson's. Addressing the participants, Mr Akwasi Owusu-Bi, Local Governance Specialist of WAGES, explained that "during the validation meeting, which was a follow-up to the Assembly's participatory capacity assessment of local government on management of transportation and sustainable economic development planning, budgeting and financing, it came to light that, there was the need to reinforce training on gender mainstreaming in the Municipal's planning and budgeting processes, both within the Municipal and at the sub structure level".
He said WAGES, therefore, decided to bring the stakeholders together to help make gender mainstreaming a key component in the planning processes within the Assembly's structures. The training would equip the participants to ensure that issues concerning the youth and women are integrated in decision making within their respective communities, he indicated.
The local governance specialist added that a similar programme had already been held for stakeholders in the Wassa East District of the Western Region. Mr. Owusu-Bi noted that after the training, his office would develop an action plan with the gender components incorporated in it.
He said the participants would be monitored to ensure that they include the gender components while implementing their activities. Participants were taken through lessons such as introduction to gender and related concepts, governance: women and youth participation, gender analysis and frameworks and integrating gender and youth concerns in project cycle.
The MCE for Prestea Huni Valley, Mr. Mozart Kwaku Owuh, commended the organizers and urged the trainees to participate fully to gain in depth knowledge on gender mainstreaming. He said the assembly would continue to support such programmes to improve development in the municipality.