Deputy Minister for Research, Policy and Planning, Curtis V. Dorley, has concluded a three-day regional validation workshop organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The meeting which took place in Saly Portudal, Senegal from March 26-28, focused on the validation of ECOWAS training tools on Gender- Based Violence (GBV) and ECOWAS Standard Operating Procedures for Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment in Workplaces as well as Educational Establishments in the Region.
Deputy Minister Dorley who represented the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection on the Liberian delegation joined his counterparts in brainstorming on possible solutions gear towards the finalization of a working document that promotes more effective prevention strategies and response to violence against women and girls and sexual harassment.
One of the key objectives of the gathering was to share training tools on gender-based violence (GBV) and standard operating procedures on sexual harassment in educational institutions and workplaces in the ECOWAS region;
Validate training tools on gender-based violence (GBV) and standard operating procedures on sexual harassment in educational institutions and workplaces.
This, according to the meeting objectives, would help in defining ways of disseminating the tools across Member States; discuss the strategy for mobilising stakeholders and partners to support the training and dissemination of the tools.
The expected outcome of the gathering is to populate the training tools in the ECOWAS region by ensuring that the instruments on gender-based violence (GBV) and standard operating procedures on sexual harassment in educational institutions and workplaces are validated amongst other things.
West African countries, like the rest of the world, are experiencing a recurrence of sexual and gender-based violence in both private and public spaces.
According to the UN Women’s report in 2022, “around 48,800 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members. This means that, on average, more than five women or girls are killed every hour by a member of their own families.
Sexual violence, which is an integral part of violence against women and girls, is a violation of women’s fundamental rights and a major public health issue throughout the world.
In the ECOWAS region, more than 10% of women suffer physical, sexual and emotional violence at the hands of their intimate partner or ex-partner. Research shows that Sexual harassment is also a major challenge in the region.
