LocationsUNDP supports gender equality an and helping to increase the opportunities for women led CSOs to compete effectively with their male counterparts.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through its Rule of Law Joint Programme has conducted a 5- day capacity building training for women Civil Society Organizations.
It is aimed at is helping them improve their internal mechanisms and processes to effectively and efficiently deliver legal aid services to indigents and vulnerable groups particularly women and children.
The 19-23 April 2021 held in Monrovia is a follow up to the conduct of a capacity assessment on the internal governance of women-led CSOs. The assessment investigated their programmatic, operational, and administrative capacities.
According to the findings, legal aid services, psychosocial support, human rights awareness for survivors of Sexual & Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and monitoring the prosecution of such cases through the criminal justice system particularly the specialized SGBV Courts E, remain pivotal to the fight against SGBV.
It also captured information on the legal aid landscape in Liberia, its prospects, opportunities and challenges that effectively implement the services through engagements, consultations with donors, UN agencies and government agencies in the justice sector.
Speaking during the official opening of the training exercise, Atty. James Monibah, Team Leader of the Inclusive Governance and Public Institutions Portfolio of UNDP stressed that his agency is committed to supporting women CSOs increase opportunities to compete effectively with their male counterparts.
Monibah mentioned that the skills acquired from the capacity building exercise will allow them increase efforts to access grants from other institutions.
He encouraged participants can make adequate use of the knowledge acquired.
In response, one of the participants, Evelyn F. Barry of Carefound-Liberia thanked UNDP for organizing the training, which she says, will enhance their capacity in competing with their male counterparts in programme development and implementation.
Barry urged her colleagues to create a network where each CSO will be able to interact with one another and share information.
The Joint Rule of law programme is titled "Strengthening the Rule of Law in Liberia: Justice and Security for the Liberian people".
Other partners include UNWomen, OHCHR and UNICEF.
