The Ministry of Social Affairs opens a training centre in Bakarzala, Akkar to strengthen women’s local participation

The representative of the Minister of Social Affairs, Georges Aida, inaugurated last week an ICT and foreign languages community centre in the village of Bakarzala in Akkar.  The Centre offers social, health and educational services within the framework of the programme entitled “strengthening the participation of women in local governance and development” and which is implemented with the support of the Italian Embassy in collaboration with the Municipality of Bakarzala and the Akkar Development Network. In his keynote address, Aida introduced the project through which the Ministry is seeking to strengthen the role of women in decision making at the local and national level as well as empowering women and encouraging them to engage in public life and to access decision making positions.  As such, the Ministry has funded a number of small projects which are expected to contribute to strengthen gender equality at the local level.  Aida also noted that a women sport center was inaugurates in Jouma three weeks ago.  In addition, the Ministry has developed a new vision to address women and equality issue namely in mainstreaming gender in plans and programmes as an approach seeking to understand the needs of the communities as well as invest to build individual capacities in order to achieve active participation in development. He also considered that the starting point for women’s representation is at the level of women’s participation in local community councils which is likely to achieve community development and addressed the needs of both women and men in the community.
Source: Al-Nahar 3 February 2014