The EU Strait Programme in PNG has provided families in the rural areas of the Sandaun Province the opportunity to learn about gender based violence and gender equality for women and youth in the agri-business.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under EU-STREIT PNG Programme continues its commitment to extend learning opportunities on mainstreaming gender perspective to farming communities and local stakeholders in the Sandaun Province.
Recently, the programme set up a fresh batch of trainings under the theme Mainstreaming Gender Perspectives in Agrifood Chains that covered two major rural communities of Pasi DPI station in the Vanimo Urban LLG and Waromo Village in the Bewani Wutung Onei LLG.
The impact of gender based violence along food value chains, financial literacy and instructions required were addressed to set up cohesive women and youth business groups and group dynamics.
These learning and awareness program benefited a total of 84 farmers, 24 women and provincial DAL officers.
Young participant, Scolyn Wasa, grew up learning and practicing the women’s traditional customary roles. She and her husband learnt the reproductive and productive roles that can be shared between men, women, youths and members of a family.
The main agenda of the EU STREIT Programme is improving the well-being of farming families and this can be achieved when male farmers learn and practice to recognize, respect and value the women and youth participation for all to benefit equally.
Following the FAO Strategic Framework on leaving no one behind, this funded programme focuses to include marginalized groups like widows, single parents, orphans and people living with disabilities in its training and capacity building workshops.
The Programme will roll out similar trainings to other LLGs of the Sepik Region in the coming months.