Workshop to strengthen the capacity of CSOs to advocate for SRHR and to fight SGBV
- 2019-03-26 12:31:58
Fighting Gender Based Violence requires a comprehensive multi-disciplinary, multi-agency and multi-stakeholder approach. The involvement and collaboration of stakeholders enables efficiency of efforts and permits avoiding duplication which is a major challenge in the different interventions made by CSOs in the community .
Towards strengthening the coalition of CSOs intervening in this thematic area and to strengthen their capacity to advocate for SRHR and to fight SGBV , the Rwanda Interfaith Council on Health (RICH) has convened members of several Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in the promotion of SRHR and fight against SGBV for a three-days workshop.
This workshop was organized in collaboratio with Oxfam Rwanda; it targeted CSOs operating in Muhanga, Kamonyi, Rubavu, Huye, Ruhango and Nyabihu district.
During this workshop, Participants discussed on several topics including Human Rights Law, women’s rights, SRHR, and advocacy.
Throughout the sessions, participants discussed how the civil societies can improve the community awareness of their sexual and reproductive health rights, and how they can address challenges to women’s rights in Rwanda. On other hand, Participants learnt how they can bring positive change at both individual and community level in the area where they are operating.
Photo: Participants were given time for Focus group discussions
During the workshop, participants were given time to discuss in small focus groups, and to share their experiences with others at the end of each session. As a result, participants found out the need to work together, to create a coalition in order to fulfill their missions. For them, the need and the importance of networking among CSOs is growing with the increase of the interventions of CSOs in the Rwandan society.
In addition, such coalitions among different CSOs should go further and include the participation and ability to advocate together in the decision making process and development activities. Participants expressed a strong desire that coalitions extends their responsibility and push the civil society to improve their performance.
At the end of the workshop, Participants vowed to create a coalition to successfully achieve their mission. They also urged CSOs partners to develop a working mechanism to straightforwardly coordinate and share both information and experiences among CSOs.
Photo: CSOs vowed to create and strengthen their coalitions (per district of intervention) to advocate for SRHR and fight agaisnt SGBV