General
Source: GUINEE NEWS
In Conakry, it's time for a series of trainings for Guineans on the application of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, commonly known as the Maputo Protocol. This Monday, September 28, in a hotel reception desk in the square, representatives of 25 NGOs and civil society organizations from Conakry and the interior of the country formed the first group of women to be trained.
Organized by Make Every Woman Count, the training series will run until Saturday, October 3. After the women from NGOs, it will be the turn of women journalists, then that of girls' clubs.
“ It is not training as such. It's a sharing of experience, ”said Makalé Soumah, advocacy officer at Make Every Woman Count.
For Kabuya Muyimona, one of the consultants leading this training series, it was really necessary to organize this workshop. Since in Guinea, explained this consultant in women's human rights, there is a lack of popularization of this protocol, the only international text to take into account African specificities in the defense of the rights of women and girls. “ In addition to this deficit, the protocol stipulates that member states have an obligation to submit, every two years, a report on the implementation of this protocol. However, since its ratification and the deposit of instruments, Guinea has never submitted a report. The NGOs could have submitted an alternative report… which is never done, ”he added.
During his intervention during the session on Monday, Mr. Kabuya Muyimona explained that respect for the rights of women and girls is a national development issue in Guinea. “ Because national development is the sum of community developments, and community development is the sum of family developments …”, he explained. However, if to date Guinea has made enough efforts to make its texts conform to international standards with regard to the rights of women and girls, in fact, the reality is quite different. “ Equality in law does not mean equality in fact ”, the consultant will also note.
In addition to Kabuya Muyimona, other consultants made interventions during this first day. They are Senegalese Amie Sacko and Esther Waweru who spoke by videoconference from Kenya.
Cooperate with NGOs and financial partners
A few hours after the start of the works, the Minister of Rights and Women's Empowerment intervened in this workshop to officially launch it. In her speech, Hawa Béavogui expressed the department's readiness to cooperate with NGOs and civil society organizations - which are actors in the field - and funding organizations in favor of Guineans. Stressing that Guinea has had to put in place legal and institutional mechanisms in favor of women, the Minister recognizes that there are still social constraints that do not favor the emancipation of Guineans.
On Make Every Woman Count
Introducing the NGO, Makalé Soumah said Make Every Woman Count is an organization run by African women. “We work on the promotion of policies focused on gender, on the advocacy and training of women's rights organizations by documenting the progress made, good practices, but also existing gaps. The objective is to alert African states and encourage them to improve their efforts in the area of gender equality and women's rights, ”she explained.