Liberia: Sister Aid Liberia Train 147 Male Leaders From Lofa, Bassa, and Grand Gedeh on Gender Transformative Leadership and Masculinity - FrontPageAfrica
by Francis G. Boayue · FrontPageAfricaShare
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Sister Aid Liberia, a non-profit organization with support from UN Women and funding from Irish Aid has trained 147 male leaders in Lofa, Bassa, and Grand Gedeh as part of an effort to strengthen the understanding of male Leaders of what masculinity means, its constructions, reinforcement and connection with women’s under-representation in Leadership and decision-making.
By Francis G. Boayue
Patricia Gaye, the head of program at Sister Aid Liberia, providing an overview of the training, said from September 17 to 20, 2024, Sister Aid Liberia (SALI) conducted a two-day training sessions on gender transformative leadership and positive masculinity at K-Plaza Hotel in Grand Bassa County, Lofa, and Grand Gedeh.
She said the training which was conducted on September 17-20, 2024, brought together 147 participants comprising Superintendents, development superintendents, city mayors, district commissioners, local political parties Leaders, local traditional and community Leaders including influencers.
“A total of 147 participants attended the training, including 20 local leaders and 27 stakeholders from Bassa, Lofa (40) and Grand Gedeh(40),” she asserted.
According to her, the participants represented a diverse group, including traditional and religious leaders, community leaders, members of the Liberia National Police (LNP), male champions, city mayors, county superintendents, zonal heads, and county gender heads.
Patricia Gaye said the training enhanced men’s understanding of masculinity, its construction and reinforcement, and its connection to women’s underrepresentation in leadership and decision-making roles at national and local levels.
“Participants reflected on issues of gender inequality and power imbalances by analyzing masculinity, and they were encouraged to challenge harmful masculine norms, practices, and the status quo to foster critical reflection and promote positive change,” she added.
She further said the training sessions were facilitated by a team of experts: Mr. Samuel D. Darpolor from the Center for Research and Capacity Building and Patricia Z. Gaye, The program of Sister Aid Liberia.
“Ora Mato Barclay, a gender specialist from Development Initiatives (DI), in Grand Gedeh; and Mr. James Cater (trainer from the security sector, and Amelia S. Siafia, Acting ED of sister Aid Liberia in Lofa.
“The facilitator in Bassa employed the 20-40-80 rule, which emphasizes that participants retain 20% of what they hear, 40% of what they hear and see, and 80% of what they hear, see, and do.
“Techniques included experience sharing, homework assignments, PowerPoint presentations, discussions, and Q&A sessions to elicit participants’ insights.
“In Lofa and Grand Gedeh, facilitators utilized interactive methods such as group work and presentations to engage participants in discussions about masculinity.
“The training utilized presentation slides developed from the Promundo manual on “Engaging Men in Gender Transformation,” the Concern Worldwide manual on “Gender Transformative Leadership and Masculinity,” and components from UN Women’s manual on Transformative Leadership.
“Key topics covered during the training included the benefits of promoting positive masculinity and norms, the distinctions between gender and sex, gender equality versus gender equity, and societal expectations regarding masculinity and femininity, and 24 hours,” Patricia Gaye added.