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ADNews-Maryland County, Liberia: More than 40 rural women have taken part in a capacity-building training aimed at strengthening their understanding of land rights, natural resource governance and the effects of climate change on their communities.
By Moses Geply
The one-day engagement was held in Salaken Town, Pleebo District, and was organized by the Natural Resource Women Platform in collaboration with the Alliance for Rural Democracy, with support from Green Advocates.
Participants came from six communities across the Pleebo Sodoken area, including Salaken Town, Old Pleebo, the Bolobo communities, Old and New Sodoken, Gbaolu, and Glowien.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Radiatu Kahnpalye, Policy Advisor at the Natural Resource Women Platform, said the training was designed to capture the lived experiences of women affected by concession activities and environmental changes.
“Our goal is to collect firsthand information on how concession companies are affecting communities and how climate change is impacting the daily lives of rural women,” she said.
Ms. Kahnpalye explained that civil society organizations and women’s movements play a complementary role to the government by gathering grassroots data and forwarding it to national leaders for action.
“We support government efforts by taking raw information from the people and sharing it with decision-makers so that timely interventions can be made,” she added.
Ms. Kahnpalye also urged Liberians to take greater ownership of the country’s natural resources.
“We must make use of what we have in our forests and stop waiting only on investors and concession companies to drive development,” she said.
Following her remarks, Veronica Gray, Head of Secretariat, highlighted the importance of coordination and documentation in the program.
“The secretariat ensures that these engagements are properly organized and that women’s concerns are accurately recorded and represented in national discussions on natural resources,” Ms. Gray said.
Representing Green Advocates, Salia Sharrif stressed the importance of awareness and community participation, particularly among women.
“When women understand their land rights and environmental laws, they are better positioned to protect their communities and hold companies accountable,” Salia said.
Several participants welcomed the initiative, describing it as empowering and timely.
“This training has opened our minds about land rights and women’s advocacy,” Ma Rue, a participant, told our reporter. “We now feel more confident to speak up for our communities.”
However, the Organizers are quoted as saying, ” the information gathered during the training will be compiled and shared with national stakeholders as part of broader advocacy efforts to strengthen women’s participation in natural resource governance across Liberia.
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