A pivotal three-day training workshop on the role of women in protecting and conserving the environment officially launched today, marking the first major milestone of the “Umugore n’ibidukikije” project.
The training, which is scheduled to run through Thursday, brings together a comprehensive group of stakeholders to align on the project’s mission: empowering women cooperatives to lead the charge against the climate crisis and Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
The workshop is characterized by a high level of representation, ensuring that the project’s goals are integrated into every level of community leadership. Participants include:
-Local Authorities: Ensuring the initiative aligns with district development goals.
-Partner Organizations: Technical staff from ARDE/KUBAHO, COFORWA, and UGAMA, alongside international partners Medicus Mundi Araba and Medicus Mundi Bizkaia.
-Expert Facilitators: The sessions are being led by a consultancy team of experts, providing data-driven strategies for climate resilience and gender mainstreaming.
Over the course of these three days, participants are delving into how rural women in Kamonyi can move from being those most affected by climate change to becoming “agents of eco-social transformation.”
The curriculum focuses on:
-Climate Justice: Understanding the link between environmental degradation and its disproportionate impact on women.
-Resource Leadership: Training women to manage and control sustainable resources, including the planned rehabilitation of 7 community water points and 14 rainwater harvesting systems.
-Social Protection: Strategies to use environmental initiatives as a platform to reduce Gender-Based Violence and promote women’s autonomy.
By the time the training concludes on Thursday, the goal is to have a unified roadmap for the project’s implementation. By strengthening the capacity of local leaders and partners, the “Umugore n’ibidukikije” project ensures that the women of Kamonyi are not just participants in environmental conservation, but its primary architects.
