The Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) participated in an inception workshop on empowering women for sustainable food systems from 3 – 5 March 2020 at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, Ghana as part of the extension phase of the Norad-FAO Project “Enhancing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security and sustainable livelihoods through better policies, strategies and initiatives.”
The three-day workshop brought together 40 participants from national, regional and global project partners including the. Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to share information on the project and to support the participatory planning and implementation process. The project will imol implement activities to support women actors in the small-scale fisheries post-harvest sector in five countries: Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. Foreseen activities include: building capacity of individuals and family enterprises; strengthening professional organizations and cooperatives; and empowering women based on their needs.
The Norad-FAO project promotes the application of the principles of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (the SSF Guidelines) in FAO member countries and regions.
The FCWC at its 12th Conference of Ministers chose Joint Actions for Secure and Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in West Africa as its 2020 Theme of the Year and is focusing attention on actions that will ensure that the benefits of the sector are preserved and enhanced.
