The Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-GH) in line with its Women Empowerment for Leadership and Action for Development programme has organised a day’s workshop for various groups in the Northern region.
It was organised for media practitioners, assembly members, women in businesses and young girls in the Tamale metropolis and the Sagnarigu municipality to share their experience on the coronavirus pandemic.
With funding from the Plan International Ghana and the Global Affairs Canada, the Executive Director of SWIDA-GH, Hajia Alima Sagito Sa-eed told THE CUSTODIAN that, the forum was an opportunity created for the participants to share their experiences and knowledge about COVID-19 from their respective electoral areas.
One key objective of the workshop, according to Hajia Alima was to empower women and teenagers in the northern region with advocacy skills and leadership qualities to increase their chances of participating in decision-making process and achieve economic empowerment.
The participants after intensive discussions at the end of the workshop, have resolved to take some measures to impact on the lives of others and influence positive behavioural change in their communities to prevent community spread of the coronavirus.
They also accepted to be ambassadors to campaign on the strict adherence to the safety protocols outlined in the country by health workers and government in the fight against the global virus in the communities.
The SWIDA-GH Executive Director lamented the lackadaisical attitude of some people towards COVID-19 and who think the disease is not real.
Hajia Alima has therefore urged the participants to lead a course to change the narrative in the minds of the people.
COVID-19 impact businesses
Some of the participants said the COVID-19 crisis has come to slow down their businesses while others have lost their sources of livelihoods as a result of the pandemic.
They also bemoaned how children were subjected to some physical and sexual abuses in the communities as a result of the school closure and advocated an intensive community sensitisation.
The Assembly Member of Malshegu Electoral Area, Madam Yakubu Bibiana Wumpini in an interview with Journalists after the workshop called for intensified and regular sensitisation of community members on the COVID-19.
This include its preventive measures that would facilitate processes to inform government’s decision to ease all restrictions to bring life back to normal.
