February 7, 2018 By Memunatu Bangura
Western Area Urban Coordinator of 50/50 Theriyeh Koroma flanked by participants
50/50 Group, with support from OSIWA, has concluded a two -day training of trainer’s workshop for women in politics.
The training attracted twenty -five participants drawn from across the country.
They are expected to train all nominated female candidates for the March 7 presidential, parliamentary and local council election across the country.
The workshop took place on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th February, 2018, at the 50-50 Group’s Gender and Women’s Leadership Training Institute located at Tower hill, Freetown on the theme: ‘Breaking Barriers: Empowering Female Candidates for Effective Political Participation in the 2018 Parliamentary and Local Council Elections.’
The topic covered included training tips for facilitators, overview of local government, a brief guide to how Parliament works, public speaking and confidence-building skills, defining candidacy and preparing campaign, developing campaign messages, how to campaign and elections code of conduct.
President of 50-50 Group, Fatou Taqi, told participants that the group is a non-partisan group of women that aimed at advocating for more women in politics and public life.
She added that over the years, through training and advocacy, they have succeeded in placing women’s representation on the political agenda in the country.
She said women in politics should fight against the discrimination and break the barrier against women in order to create more space for them.
Founding President of 50-50 Group, Madam Nemata Majeks-Walker said participants would be agents to teach female candidates that are vying for political positions in the forthcoming elections.
She said the training would provide the requisite campaign and political participatory skills for the March 7 elections and provide candidates with relevant leadership.
According to her, the training was a way to making effort in order to bridge the gaps and discuss the concerns of women within and outside the political arena.
The founder president further stated that the training was not just to train women, but also to prioritise women and their issues because they were among the marginalised groups in the society.