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| Councillors make a group presentation |
Female councillors have benefited from such training in the past, but this is the first training provided for the current crop who assumed office after the local government election in 2008.
It is hoped that by the end of the training participants would have had increased knowledge in negotiation and advocacy strategies, as well as valuable leadership skills and self confidence.
Declaring the three-day training open, the Director of the Decentralisation Secretariat, Alhassan Kanu assured participants that the issue of gender is high in the priority list of the Secretariat’s concerns.
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| Alhassan Kanu declares the training open |
He said that though the participation of women in the decentralisation programme has been impressive over the years, there was still room for improvement if Sierra Leone is to catch up with the situation in certain other African countries.
He also called on the women to play a part in the maintenance of peace and the achievement of general progress in their various localities.
The Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission Edward Koroma, admonished the female councillors to endeavour to access available opportunities for assistance in undertaking development projects in the area of agriculture.
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| Edward Koroma addressing the opening session |
Sembia Johnson who is President of the Caucus of Women Councillors, appealed for increased opportunities for the women to receive more exposure by way of exchange visits to learn from the experience of their counterparts in other countries.
The women raised a host of other issues of concern to them such as an alleged discrimination against a potential female candidate vying for the position of Paramount Chief in Kono District.
They also sought assistance in the area of project writing so that it would be easier for them to access available opportunities.
The training is being coordinated by the Acting Gender Specialist of the Decentralisation Secretariat, Mary Rogers.
