The Ministry of Environment Climate Change and Natural Resources through the OMVG Project organized Capacity Building Workshop targeting OMVG field staff, the National Monitoring Committee (NMC) with the Local Coordination Monitoring Committee (LCMC). The Capacity Building Workshop targets key community-based focal points to train them on Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy to be able to manage cases and preventive awareness-raising at the community level.

The training was held at a Local Hotel and was attended by the government partners with OMVG Field Staff. The Sub Regional training is being conducted in Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Senegal, and the Gambia.

The Official Opening Ceremony was done by the Honorable Minister of Environment Climate Change and Natural Resources Hon Rohey John Manjang while delivering her remarks said that OMVG is involved in the exploitation of the resources of the river basins shared by its member states, namely the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, and Senegal.

She said that the sub-regional project is the first of its kind in the sub-region which was a pioneer by our former Presidents during the First Republic. This important training will map out quality data analysis of GBV cases across the regions.

She said, however major development operations and the human and financial flows they generate around infrastructure are often likely to encourage gender-based violence (sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abduction of minors, etc.) within Energy project areas.

"This hypothesis has been verified in the OMVG worksites and as such the OMVG took an explicit decision to encourage the institution (OMVG) to undertake capacity building of its management and coordination structures for optimal management, both preventive and curative, of gender-based violence, in particular, sexual violence against women and girls" She noted.

The flagship activity of this project is the capacity building of the various stakeholders and GBV actors on GBV issues. A Senegalese NGO, RADI was contracted to oversee the training of GBV stakeholders in the Gambia, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, and Guinea Conakry to reduce the likelihood of GBV, including Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and Sexual Harassment (SH), or the consequences they could cause if they occur.

To strengthen the technical capacities of the project's targets (NMCs and CLCS, partner companies and agents of the OMVG and the PMU as well as the actors of the referral chain) for better management of GBV cases in the intervention countries.

the structures to be strengthened by the capacity-building training workshop.

According to the Minister, These are grassroots structures that have a foothold in the project's beneficiary communities and will be playing a pivotal role both in the dissemination of information and in the reception of sensitive complaints from victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) In addition, other structures will be involved in the training sessions to improve the involvement and the harmonized management of GBV in the OMVG energy project-affected communities and regions.

Isatou Jawara

Information Officer

MECCNAR