Gourcy Hosts Training on Gender-Based Violence Management for PCRSS Actors in Zondoma

GOURCY, Burkina Faso — A critical training session focused on addressing the risks and management of gender-based violence (GBV) was held in Gourcy on January 19 and 20, 2024. The Rural World Association (AMR) organized this capacity-building event for individuals implementing the Community Recovery and Stabilization Project in the Sahel (PCRSS) in the Northern region.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the training was designed to educate participants on the risks of sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, and gender-based violence. The High Commissioner of Zondoma province, Aboubacar Sidiki Nabé, praised the initiative and urged the beneficiaries to utilize the tools provided to disseminate awareness messages on GBV in their communities. Amadou Wangré, the National Coordinator of the AMR, emphasized the training’s goal to create community leaders as ambassadors in the fight against gender-based violence. “We are responsible for our problems; we must also be the solutions,” Mr. Wangré noted during the session.

The training covered various themes, including the clarification of key concepts, risks, causes, and endogenous mechanisms for managing GBV. In addition to the educational component, participating municipalities were given communication materials like kakemonos and stickers to aid in ongoing community awareness efforts.

The PCRSS, funded by the World Bank and the Burkinabè State and implemented by the Association Monde rural, operates in nine municipalities in the Northern Region – Arbollé, Yako, Gourcy, Ouahigouya, Barga, Namissiguima, Thiou, Titato, and Ouindigui – and five in the Sahel, including Dori, Gorgadji, Arbinda, Djibo, Gorom Gorom, and Sebba. This training forms a crucial part of the project’s broader efforts to promote recovery and stabilization in these areas.