SWIDA – Gh Marks World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022

In partnership with the Song – Ba Empowerment Center in Tamale, the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA – Gh), commemorated the World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022, with focus on the reusable pad to support the girl.

A total of one hundred female students of the Riyadh Soliheen Islamic JHS at Nakpanzoo went through training on how to make and maintain the reusable pads, as a means of effectively managing their menstrual hygiene.

Each of the students was given a reusable pad, which has the lasting capacity of three years. This pad will be washed after use and be reused, without any adverse health and hygiene effects.

The pad is made from local materials which have a guarantee of hygiene and health as well as safety assurances.

Through a short training video, the girls were shown how to manage their menstrual hygiene.

The event created a safe space for the girls to ask questions and share information on this essential subject.

In many homes in the rural areas of northern Ghana, it is considered as close to a taboo to raise or talk about issues of menstruation.

The theme for World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022, is “To create a world where no woman or girl is held back because she menstruates”.

SWIDA –Gh ‘Green Ghana Day’

The northern regional Director for forestry was one of our facilitators for today’s training.

He explained the relevance of the Green Ghana Day and how afforestation helps in the fight against climate change and its devastating effects.

He tasked the women to see themselves as persons who have a key role to play in the climate fight.

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SWIDA – Gh Joins Reception of High Commissioner

SWIDA – Gh as a partner, was privileged be part of honouring a reception invitation by the Canadian High Commissioner in Ghana.

This activity was to celebrate the Canada Day and also the Armed Forces Day.

The High Commissioner’s welcome statement mentioned the commitment and contribution of the Canadian government to Ghana, especially in support to rural women.

The Canadian government has contributed in many ways including through financial and technical support for many organizations including SWIDA – Gh, towards the empowerment of women in Ghana.

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SWIDA – Gh and Training for Women on Shea Picking

In many parts of the northern sector, this is the shea picking and collection season. Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA – Gh), has been working with women in shea for over ten years now.

For every shea season, SWIDA -Gh organizes a refresher training for 1,000 of our shea women and follow up with them on quality shea picking and processing methods to avoid waste and ensure value for money from their efforts.

This year’s training is being organized with support from the Global Fund for Women.

SWIDA – Gh Records Success with Introduction of Beekeeping as a Community Livelihood Support

The Executive Director for the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA – Gh), Hajia Alimah Sagito Saeed, has been presenting to the World Food Programme office in Tamale, sections of a final report on the Sustainable Livelihoods project.

Hajia Alimah aside asserting the positive achievement on the entire project, recounted the success story of the introduction of beekeeping.

According to Mrs. Saeed, within six months, 2,300 women have been trained in the keeping of bees, beehive construction and harvesting of honey, for income generation.

Hajia Alimah added that 122 beehives have been constructed with 63 colonies, with 30 bee technicians identified and trained within the communities, to ensure the information stays in the community.

“Our greatest happiness as an organization is that this success will add up to global efforts aimed at enhancing the economic empowerment of women”, Hajia Alima said.

The Sustainable Livelihoods project is being implemented by SWIDA – Gh and funded by the World Food Programme.

Make Use of Social Media to Help fight SGBV – Hajia Alima to girls

Executive Director for the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA – Gh), Hajia Alima Sagito-Saeed has advised girls to make good use of social media to create more awareness on ending SGBV in their communities.

She gave this advice in Tamale, during a refresher training of Girls Leaders in the Institutions on Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV).

The programme was part of the KASA! Ending Sexual Violence Project was organised by the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-GH) in partnership with the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana Health Service, which is aimed at building the capacity of Girls confirmed to fight sexual violence in institutions and communities.

According to Hajia Alima, the use of social media to spread messages about sexual harassment is one of the important tools which can help people become more knowledgeable about the topic.

She added that social media awareness creation would assist victims of sexual harassment feel comfortable in reporting their situations and lead to the prevention of sexual harassment.

A Student from Anbariya Senior High School, Seidu Amatu however appealed to Stakeholders to support government to enforce the laws on fighting against sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) in the country.

She noted that mostly, the perpetrators of girl child sexual abuse were often not punished by the authorities in charge of these cases due to interference by some traditional leaders and politicians.

Amatu indicated that stakeholders should play a critical role in responding to and creating access to justice for women and girls who have suffered sexual and gender-based violence in the country.

She stated that the rising number of victims of sexual and gender-based violence in the country requires a systematic approach to address these cases.

According to her, there should be effectively enforced laws which would protect women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence and also to hold the perpetrators to account for their actions.

Miss Khadijah Abdul-Samed, the Project Lead for KASA! Ending Sexual Violence stated that the two years Project implemented by SWIDA – GH started this year was funded by African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF).

The project is being implemented in ten education institutions within Sagnarigu Municipal and Tamale Metropolis.

The project was aimed at producing 200 female advocates in Sexual and Gender Based Violence SGBV.

UDS Counselor Urges Stakeholders To Build Confidence Of Girls To Report Abuse

Assistant Registrar in-charge of Counseling at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Alhaji Alhassan Hussein, has called on stakeholders to build confidence of girls to report incidences of sexual violence.

He said stakeholders should enhance learning and awareness creation for girls to have confidence to report sexual violence without fear.

Alhaji Hussein made the call during a Situational Analysis and Capacity Building Workshop in Tamale for guidance and counseling units to address Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in educational institutions.

The event, which was part of the KASA! Ending Sexual Violence Project, which raises awareness on sexual violence in the north, was organised by the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-GH), in partnership with the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana Health Service.

It was to enhance the capacity of counselors to address challenges and exploit opportunities to promote anti-sexual violence and defend girls exposed to SGBV in educational institutions.

Alhaji Hussein said governing bodies, headteachers, principals, and senior leadership teams should designate safeguarding leads to end sexual violence and harassment amongst students at all levels.

Madam Linda Amoah, an Officer from the Northern Regional Girls Education Unit, said the effects of child sexual abuse could be long–lasting, which affected the victim’s mental health.

Mostly in the communities the perpetrators of girl-child sexual abuse were often related to the victim, she said, and urged traditional leaders and parents to support the victims to report the case to the authorities, rather than covering up due to cultural biases.

Mr Benjamin Asamoah, the Director of Counseling, Tamale Technical University, advised parents to train their children on human rights to make them confident to report sexual violence issues to them (parents).

He said poverty also promoted people’s vulnerabilities to sexual crimes in communities and schools, hence the need to empower parents to provide the needed care for their children.

Madam Khadijah Abdul-Samed, the Project Leader of KASA! Ending Sexual Violence, said the two-year project being implemented by SWIDA – GH, was funded by the African Women’s Development Fund.

It is being implemented in 10 educational institutions within the Tamale Metropolis and the Sagnarigu Municipality to produce 200 female advocates in SGBV.

Gender Equality is Necessary for Poverty Reduction – SWIDA – Gh

The Executive Director for the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency, SWIDA – Gh, Hajia Alimah Sagito Saeed, has encouraged the need for fusing gender equality in all aspects of human approaches, to help in poverty reduction.

Hajia Alimah, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency in Tamale, indicated that “women had suffered a lot to the point where some are regarded as inferior to men and as such, are disallowed from playing any role in society.

According to her, the situation is worsened by refusal of victims of Gender based Violence to report to the authorities.

She said some families have the belief that managing Gender based violence at home and not reporting it to authorities, helps to save the image of the family.

The Executive Director urged opinion leaders to make available equal opportunities for women to use their talents to make better choices for themselves, their families and communities.