By: Problyn J Alpha
With support from Arisaid, SEND Sierra Leone, a Non-Governmental Organization based in the country under its “More than a Woman project,” has organized a day of stakeholders training on power analysis focused on harmful cultural practices, particularly female genital mutilation (FGM) in Kailahun District.
The More than a Woman project supported by ARISAID aimed to empower women, youths, and persons with different abilities in governance and development processes, promoting good governance, human rights, and social inclusion through capacity building and community engagement.
The training, which brought together local authorities, government agencies, partners, the Sierra Leone police, and the media, was held at the Kailahun District Council Hall.
Speaking to our correspondent, the project officer of the aforementioned project, Sallieu Kanneh, maintained that the engagement was geared towards discussing the power analysis of female genital mutilation issues in their communities.
He said the project’s third phase is focused on climate change resilience and cultural practices that affect women, young girls, and persons with different abilities. He continued that most of the issues affecting women, persons living with different abilities, and other marginalized groups of people have connections with traditional harmful practices. He said the power analysis aimed to address the issues amicably and uphold long-lasting peace in the country. ”
Among all the key stakeholders present, we are more focused and particular about the ‘sowes’ to understand that most of the issues that affect women in our respective communities have connections with FGM, and we want them to cascade the information to the other ‘sowes’ who were not part of the training.
“Our key message to them was to uphold the laws of Sierra Leone above traditional practice, that is, to stop initiating under-age girls into the Bondo society, and even those who have reached the actual age must not be initiated without their consent, our move as SEND is to cushion the nation’s fight against harmful cultural practices to enhance peaceful coexistence in Sierra Leone he maintained,” he said.
The twenty-four months project Sallieu Kanneh pointed out is aimed at equipping and capacitating women politically, socially and economically to actively participate in decision making at all quarters of life.
The participants present pledged their total commitment to cascading the training knowledge to their communities, thus upholding laws that frown on harmful cultural practices in the country.
