(Friday, 30 August, 2013, Issue)
The West African Women Association (WAWA), The Gambia chapter, in collaboration with the National Water Sector Reform project (NWSRP), under the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources, recently organised a one-day sensitization workshop on integrated water resources management at the Banjul City Council.
Speaking at the sensitization forum, the deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources, Fatimah F. Sosseh, said the national water sector reform project is funded by the African Development Bank and the Government of The Gambia to the tune of €2.0m Euros.
She recalled that the project was launched in April 2012 by the Vice President Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy at the Coco Ocean Resort.
According to her, some of the key activities of the project are revision of the Water Bill 2004 and enactment of a new water law in harmony with new water policy, development of water resources management, and stakeholders mobilization for the IWRM of which women participation is key.
She further asserted that the third principle of the IWRM four Dublin principles recognizes the fact that women play a central role in the provision, management and safeguarding of water thus the need for their participation.
She disclosed that in due course, the consultant will embark on a nationwide tour to meet key stakeholders, in particular, sector-wide institution and department heads and women, so as to better understand the concept in reforming the water sector.
For his part, Paul Mendy, the monitoring and evaluation specialist who presented a paper at the workshop, talked on the importance attached to the project.
According to him, the forum was meant to sensitize the women in particular about the national water sector reform project, which is out to facilitate the implementation of the IWRM in The Gambia.
He noted that a similar forum has been done in other parts of the country, and the community of Banjul and KMC were the last to benefit from the sensitization.
Mr Mendy further stated that the IWRM cannot be successfully implemented without the involvement of the stakeholders, particularly the women.
Other speakers on the occasion included the coordinator of WAWA, Mam Saine Njie-Sanneh, who thanked the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources for funding the activities through the water sector reform project.
