A two-day regional training on gender gaps and social inclusion for Project Implementation Unit (PIU) staff, implementing partners, and contracted service providers has concluded in Port Loko with a resounding call to support the pillars of the ‘Feed Salone’ agenda. The training, organized by the Food Systems Resilience Project (FSRP) with support from the World Bank, brought together duty bearers from districts across the Northern Region to focus on empowering women, youth, and marginalized groups.

The training covered various topics, including gender concepts, policy frameworks, mainstreaming gender and disability, addressing gender gaps in agriculture and food systems, and strategies for youth inclusion in food crisis prevention and mitigation. Participants were tasked with developing a roadmap for gender budgeting, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of the FSRP.

Dr Bernadette Lahai, Dr Mariam Maiga, Bamie J. Sesay from the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, and other prominent speake
rs, including agricultural and business experts, led the sessions. They emphasised the need to ensure that all individuals-whether project staff, service providers, or policymakers-are included in the decision-making process.

The Port Loko District Agricultural Officer, Emmanuel Balah Marah, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, commended the FSRP for promoting equitable resource distribution. He highlighted that the project aligns with President Julius Maada Bio’s five strategic objectives of the ‘Feed Sa Leone’ agenda, which include import substitution, job creation, export earnings, and agricultural value chains.

He emphasised the importance of strengthening mechanisation, seed and input systems, marketing, and agricultural finance to achieve these goals.

“Empowering women, youth, and the physically challenged and integrating technology into agriculture are essential steps toward a sustainable food system,” Marah stated, appealing to the World Bank to enhance farmers’ access to finance.

Fi
nda B. Joseph, Gender-Based Violence and Social Nutrition Specialist for the FSRP and CORAF’s Social Development Officer, both highlighted the significance of the training in fostering gender inclusion. They also urged women not to misuse their empowerment to challenge family structures and called on men to support their partners’ growth.

Port Loko District Council Chairman Sheku Tejan Saccoh expressed the district’s unwavering commitment to addressing food insecurity and empowering women. He noted that the council has prioritized women’s rights and capacity building while also calling attention to the growing impact of climate change on food systems, including increased flooding across the country.

Source: Sierra Leone News Agency