Signature tune
Presenter:
Hello listeners, welcome
to Youth Watch coming to you from the Voice
of Youth radio programme and the station you
are currently listening to. I am your host Ramata
Fofanah. In the programme today, Oxfam Great
Britain organized a workshop on women leadership
training at the Family Kingdom in Aberdeen.
What was the outcome of this workshop? We find
out with these and more stay tuned.
Signature tune
Oxfam GB formed an organization
called the ‘Women in Leadership”.
This organization is aimed at promoting women’s
political development in the country and the
programme was sponsored by DFID. Some of their
objectives were the support of women in District
Council Elections and also to help women groups
such as: the Women’s Forum, the Federation
of Muslim Associations in Sierra Leone, the
Kailahun Tortorma Women’s Network and
the 50/50 group. As this project is coming to
an end, Oxfam organized a grand workshop on
Friday 18th December 2005 at the Family Kingdom
Resort with the aim of bringing all women organizations
in the country together. Our Voice of Youth
reporter was present at the show and the guest
speaker was the Minister of Social Welfare,
Gender and Children’s Affairs, Mrs. Shirley
Gbujama. She called on women to work hard in
developing the country.
Mrs. Gbujama:
It is very necessary
for women to be in all developmental work in
the country. Women should not be seen always
at the back putting on ‘ashorbi’
in support of the men, we should do something
positive. Women should be seen in the economic
and social development of the country and the
Government is doing all it can to support them.
I really appreciate the good job of OXFAM in
this eye-opening venture of our women. Sometimes
people do say that my Ministry is meant for
women and children only, no. That’s not
true, my Ministry is for everybody, men women
and children, that is why it is called gender.
Gender means male and female. Women are the
greater number in the country, out of every
ten men you will have five women. That is to
say, we should go side-by-side. Even when we
were not seen in concert with the men, we are
always the working tools in the homes, farms
and so on.
Ramata Fofanah
(VoY): That was
the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s
Affairs, Mrs. Shirley Gbujama. Women in Sierra
Leone have you heard the message of the Minister?
We should work very hard in promoting development
in the country. Even the men are working with
women, as the project Personnel Manager Canada
Fund for Human Initiative 2003-2006 Care International
John Lahai was also present at the programme.
^to top^
John Lahai:
I am working with Care
International in the promotion of women in the
country, therefore seeing me here is based on
this reason. My organization is working with
lots of groups, but our priority is women. As
we all here present know the meaning of empowerment,
we should therefore go out to empower those
that were not fortunate to be part of this programme
as this is the focus of the project. As women
you should try not to be in the same line as
those that were discriminating you, you should
set the pace.
Ramata Fofanah
(VoY): Honorable
Haja Konneh, a strong female parliamentarian
working on the development of women was also
present and spoke on the role of women in doing
positive things.
Ms. Haja Konneh:
These organizations
have been in existence long ago, the Kailahun
Women’s Network, FOMWSL and the Women’s
Forum were all around but at that time there
was no funding. Now that we have the time to
brainstorm, I want to say many thanks to Oxfam.
I am a beneficiary of their workshops and seminars.
Within the last three months, Oxfam organized
several workshops, of which I attended four.
All these workshops were focusing on the development
of women. Women in development are well known
all over the world. I am happy that the Minister
of Gender Affairs is here and has spoken about
the population quota. We are talking about the
percentage of women in development, which is
55% in the population quota. Women in Africa
are left behind due to the cultural norms of
society. If you disregard that number there
is nowhere in the world we are going to develop
and we will not be talking about the Millennium
Development Goal. The Government and non-governmental
organizations should work hard in achieving
these goals. Last October I was in London for
the New Partnership for Africa’s Development
meeting finding the way forward. If we fail
to take the initiative to catch up with the
developed world we are doomed. We should note
that one of the key stakeholders in development
are women. The question now is, how can women
come on board, and how can Sierra Leonean women
come on board.
^to top^
Ramata Fofanah
(VoY): As the
saying goes, “Behind every successful
man there is a woman.” Let’s work
hard to forge ahead. Women’s Forum is
one leading women’s organization promoting
women in the country. The National Chairlady
was also present at the Women in Leadership
Workshop.
Chairlady:
This is indeed a great
opportunity for all the women organizations
that were working with Oxfam, including the
Women’s Forum. I would like all of us
to give Oxfam a big applause for providing women
this wonderful opportunity. Before the intervention
of Oxfam, other agencies were supporting us
but it wasn’t much and we thought that
we were lagging behind. And for the timely intervention
of them we now see the dark clouds that overshadowed
us in the past vanishing. Women’s Forum
is a network of women organizations present
in Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Makeni and so many
places in the country. The reason for forming
this organization was for women to be able to
sort things out among themselves amicably and
share vital information and also come together
to take actions that will empower them. Our
mission therefore, is to empower women to take
their rightful positions in society in order
to be strong and influential. Over the years,
Women’s Forum has been working on its
meager financial assistance facing all sorts
of challenges. We have now moved from the loose
network that was formed in 1994. In 2000, the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNHCR supported us for four months. Part of
that money was used in setting up secretariats
in Freetown, Bo and Lungi. Today 18th November
2005, we are proud of the effort of Oxfam in
providing us with four AGM. We have set up National
Executive, Regional and District Executives.
I want to assure you that this is just the beginning
of the work but my question is, how are we going
to continue with this work now that Oxfam is
leaving us? The good thing is that Women’s
Forum is on the map. We have made it. You can
remember the Peace before Election or Election
before Peace campaign?
Ramata Fofanah
(VoY): You are
still listening to Youth Watch coming to you
from the Voice of Youth radio programme and
the station you are listening to. Its about
time we take a short music break with a sound
track titled ‘Bear Wit You Man’
by Daddy Saj.
Music break
Ramata Fofanah
(VoY): Representative
from the Federation of Muslim Women Associations
in Sierra Leone Mrs. Haja Isatu Thomas was present
at the Women in Leadership Training Ceremony.
What was her contribution? Lets find out.
Haja Isatu: Muslim
women are educated like their counterparts in
the country but we found out that Muslim women
are marginalized and silenced in the country.
It is high time we formed an organization to
advocate for women so that we will be recognized
and contribute in education, socio and economic
empowerment of women in Sierra Leone. This is
the reason of forming FOMWASL. FOMWASL has been
extended throughout the country. It is in the
East, West, South and very soon in the North.
We want to say a very big thank you to Oxfam
for establishing FOMWASL and helping us in organizing
our annual convention and a national president
in all the regions. We are happy to say that
we have an office of our own at No. 28 Kissy
Road. My appeal is that one or two groups will
not form a strong force, but when we have a
hundred or more then we will form a network.
^to top^
Ramata Fofanah
(VoY): The 50/50
Group is one of the women’s organizations
that contributed to the empowerment of women
in the country. The Regional Coordinator Western
Area Catherine Kamara was at the ceremony.
Catherine Kamara:
Initially when we introduced
the 50/50 Campaign, the men were laughing at
us with the wrong ideology of the whole thing.
I want to say to them that they were ignorant
of our campaign and don’t know that women
are the controller of the homes and the first
planners of the home. Women are guilty of allowing
the men to overpower us leaving us at the far
end. But now we are grateful that we are alive.
And that is the aim of the 50/50 Campaign.
Ramata Fofanah
(VoY): At the
end of the programme, our Voice of Youth reporter
Christiana Lappia spoke with the Chairlady of
the Federation of Muslim Women Association in
Sierra Leone Bo branch, Mrs. Betty Kawa
^to top^
Christiana Lappia
(VoY): What has
Oxfam done for your organization?
Betty Kawa:
Well a lot, we now know
how to manage our financial and other aspects
in FOMWASL. It has given us the awareness and
empowerment of leadership and the way forward
and also to our Muslim women at grass roots
level to know that they too belong to the society
and should create that awareness.
Christiana Lappia
(VoY): What is
your opinion now that Oxfam is leaving?
Betty Kawa:
well, i is really
pathetic thinking about all their support. We
say a big thank you to them and that we appreciate
their good work. We promised them that all what
we have learnt would be implemented in FOMWASL.
Christiana Lappia
(VoY): Mentioning
of what you have learnt, can you share some
with us?
Betty Kawa:
During their workshops,
we were taught about managing our finances.
In an organization you need to know how to manage
your finances. Secondly, we were taught management
skills how to write project proposals in order
to run the organization.
Ramata Fofanah
(VoY): That is
all in today’s edition of Youth Watch,
which came to you from the Voice of Youth radio
programme and the station you were listening
to. To contribute your views and opinions about
this programme, please visit us at No. 41 Main
Motor Road in Congo Cross, or call us on 234030.
On behalf of my producer Salifu Koroma and my
Engineer Mohamed Sesay, I am your host, Ramata
Fofanah. Good-bye.
^to top^
