PHOTO: Participants poses for picture
By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia-With support from the Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) through UN Women Liberia, the Community Development and Research Agency (CODRA) has concluded a lesson-learned conference with several women including other stakeholders in the central Bong County.
At the conference, which was held over the weekend, participants were urged to set example in their communities.
It brought together women and girls, local county authorities, members of the Disaster Management team from three of Liberia 15 counties including Bong, Margibi and Nimba counties.
The conference was held under the theme: Inclusive Gender Participation in Humanitarian/Crisis Response Planning and Programming.
Lasanah A. Dukuly, the Executive Director of the CODRA said the holding of the conference was one of the major objectives of the project, which was launched in 2022 to empower women economically. This is done through the provision of life skills training and provide them grants so as to put into practice the knowledge acquired over the months.
According to him, this is also meant to build the capacity of women through advocacy and to also teach them in early warming, as it relates to disaster management, advocate for their participation in humanitarian and crisis response, planning, and programs at the county, district, and community levels.
The recent conference was also meant to bring the three beneficiaries counties together so that they can develop a county disaster management and response plan that is gender sensitive and responsive for all.
Based on an assessment done in the three counties, CODRA has found out that current plan counties have are not gender sensitive and responsive, as a result, women are less considered in humanitarian response even though they are the most victims of disaster-related issues.
CODRA’s objective is to ensure that women and other marginalized community groups are given opportunities to harness their full potential to address their common issues through training, capacity-building activities, community-based advocacy, and livelihood empowerment.
The keynote speaker at the conference, Sara K. Dahn, an champion of women’s issues in Liberia, expressed gratitude to the Community Development and Research Agency for the initiative, called her fellow women to take seriously the knowledge acquired.
Madam Dahn told the gathering that why it’s true that CODRA is fighting to reduce economic crises in Liberia through the creation and provision of opportunities for struggling women in these counties, women must be willing to put to practice what they have learnt.
She highlighted the importance of women and men working side by side in every sectors, especially in disaster management. She believes that women and children are the main victims of disaster in every society and such they must be prioritize at all times by their male counterpart.
An Officer in the office of Bong County Superintendent, Esther Y. Walker, extended commendations to CODRA and partners for the conference.
He then called on the women to use what they have learnt to be of help to the smooth running of their respective homes and further serve as ambassadors in their communities.
Some of the women who attended the conference commended CODRA and partners for the milestone and promised to use the gained knowledge to help develop their homes and the community.