33 Attend workshop on women’s human rights

Arku Jasmine Sep - 12 - 2013 , 02:24

The Women’s Law and Human Rights Institute (WLHRI) – a capacity-building school for women’s leadership, human rights and social development issues run by The Ark Foundation, Ghana – has planned to hold three different intensive training programmes on Women’s Human Rights, Leadership Education and Policy Advocacy this year.

A statement issued by the Ark Foundation, after the organisation of the second in the series of the training programmes at the Diocesan Pastoral Training Centre, in Sunyani recently, said the 33 participants who attended the programme were introduced to definitions and concepts of women’s human rights, explored challenges and obstacles facing the recognition of women’s human rights and the need to enforce those rights, as well as examine devolving issues in the area of women’s human rights and women’s political participation.

The four-day training was held to also raise the awareness of young women on women’s human rights issues; empower and equip them with human rights, advocacy and lobbying skills, among others, to enable them to undertake policy advocacy on pertinent human rights issues within their communities, churches, universities and colleges, workplaces and in the political sphere.

As part of the training, participants embarked on a visit to two state institutions, the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) and the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) to enable participants to learn about the mandate, objectives and activities of these institutions and the extent to which their work impacted on women’s rights.

At the end of the training, participants signed social contracts outlining how they will use the knowledge and skill acquired at the training to influence positive change at their personal, corporate and societal levels. Participants who took part in the training were young women from colleges and universities, as well as junior and middle level managers in the public sectors, non-governmental organisations and self-employed persons.

The training was part of a Women’s Human Rights, Leadership Education and Policy Advocacy (WHRLEPA) programme, funded by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), which will run for a period of two years during which six different groups of women totalling 270 will be trained.

According to the statement, the programme targets young women between 18 and 45 years from colleges and universities, as well as junior and middle level managers in employment, and offers them an opportunity to learn, share, network and discuss issues of women’s human rights, leadership education and policy advocacy. Each training comprises a four-day intensive training, the implementation of social contract activities, a one-week internship and a final evaluation process for each of the groups. Participants will also receive coaching assistance in the execution of their tasks.

The first training was held from March 18 to March 21, 2013 at the Diocesan Pastoral Training Centre in Koforidua, and the second training was from August 26 to August 29, 2013 at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Sunyani. So far 66 young women have benefited from the training and the third training for this year will be held later in the year.