The Agency for the Development of Women and Children (ADWAC), last Wednesday organised a two-day sensitisation workshop for district chiefs, alkalolu, and women groups in the North Bank Region on the theme: 'Dialogue on gender and women's rights in Kerewan, North Bank Region'.

The objective of the training was to break the culture of silence on violence against women and the need to create conducive environment for women to enhance their participation in food production. Delivering the opening remarks, the governor of the region, Alhagie Eduwarr Seckan, thanked ADWAC for bringing traditional leaders to critically discuss an end to all forms of violence against women, with the objective of enhancing their participation in socio-economic development and improve their status in society.

Governor Seckan underscored the importance government attaches to the protection and empowerment of women to effectively participate in decision-making process to improve their livelihood. He urged all key players to continue creating the conducive environment for women to effectively participate in all sectors of national development.

Matida Daffeh, the women's rights coordinator of ADWAC, hailed the efforts of women in contributing to food security and their participation in promoting unity, peace and understanding in the quest of advocating for an end to all forms of violence against women. She revealed that the aim of her agency is to complement government's efforts in ensuring that women continue to play proactive  role in advancing the course of national development and decision-making.

She said violence is an issue that no single gender can surmount alone and therefore, all and sundry should ensure that the perpetrators are stopped from committing such violence against women and girls. Violence, she added has never solved any problem and it will never solve a problem, that and development can be slow if it is passive.

The ADWAC women's rights coordinator posited that the low status of women in decision making has underpinned their development aspiration and contributed to their poverty. She challenged men to always promote dialogue with their women in the households to better strategise problems confronting women in the attainment of sustainable development, well-being and fundamental rights of women and men in society. She urged the district authorities to continue to support women to effectively participate in food security, education and health, as well as poverty reduction at grassroots level.

Chief Fafanding Kinteh of Lower Baddibu, Chief Jim Fatma Jobe of Jokadu and Chief Bakary Nana Sonko of Lower Nuimi, all thanked ADWAC for their continuous support to women empowerment. They stated that if the violence against women and girls is stopped, it would promote understanding in society.

The district chiefs urged couples and girls to desist from any form of violence and use dialogue as the best tool in solving a problem. Violence against women according to them, is an abuse of fundamental human rights and can always underpin government's development aspiration in its quest of attaining women empowerment goals. They assured that they would continue to support women to effectively contribute to food security and enhance their livelihood.

Aja Haddy Panneh, the Alkalo of Njawara village, stressed the need to stop gender violence. She finally thanked government and development partners for their continuous support to women's advancement.