Sub-Regional workshop on gender mainstreaming kicks off

A sub-regional workshop on gender mainstreaming in agriculture commenced on Monday at the Senegambia Beach Hotel in Kololi.

The five-day workshop brought together participants from Ghana, Mali, Congo Brazzaville and The Gambia to discuss ways of reducing poverty and food insecurity in West and Central Africa through increased agriculture-led economic growth.

The convergence also looked at means of improving aspects of the agricultural research system.

In his opening statement on the occasion, Hon. Kalipha Kambi, deputy minister of Agriculture, said: “The 1995 Commonwealth plan of Action on Gender and Development sets forth a number of goals, strategic objectives and actions to be taken for the advancement of gender equality, and has specific suggestions for the agricultural sector.”

Minister Kambi reiterated the importance of mainstreaming women’s concerns into effective agricultural and rural development policies, plans and programmes to ensure household and national food security.

He added that it would also boost efforts to have measurable livelihood for rural women and by extension their communities and countries.

The Gambia has hosted the Beijing plus 10 conference and appointed women in key decision making positions, Hon. Kambi said.  “We have a female vice-president, female ministers, executive directors, permanent secretaries, speaker of the National Assembly, just to name a few,” he added.

He also cited the women’s bill and the recent launching of the National Women’s Federation as part of women empowerment.