Platform for Dialogue and Peace (P4DP) has completed a pre-scoping exercise with six local women organizations in Margibi, Bomi and Montserrado Counties for potential partnership, a release from the Think Tank group said. According to the release, the exercise was intended to thoroughly assess the eligibility of the organizations and formally document them for the forthcoming funding arrangement with the UN Women. The release credited Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) through the United Nations Women as the source of the funding, noting that P4DP is to shortly implement a project dubbed ‘Platform for Women Empowerment & Next Level’- PLA4WOENEL in Montserrado, Bomi and Margibi Counties.
Building on its just ended project, P4DP’s new initiative will seek to improve the livelihoods of young women and at the same time support women and girls’ participation and representation in political decision making. These measures, according to the release, are intended to alleviate the unfavorable socio-economic conditions that have led to women and girls’ marginalization in the country.
Although some of the current selected local partners were part of the previous initiative, P4DP’s release pointed out that the follow up exercise was about ensuring that organizations that are finally selected meet the eligibility criteria of the new focus of PLAY4WOENEL Against this backdrop, P4DP rigorously conducted an institutional capacity assessment of six local organizations pre-selected during the development of the project proposal to collaborate in the implementation of the project in various communities of the target counties. The assessment team conducted a three-day in-depth interview with heads and program managers of the six organizations to determine their current standing.
The Executive Director of P4DP, Mr. James Shilue in an exclusive interview with The Analyst, said the overall objective of the assessment was to further generate more data on the Implementing Partners (IPs) and ensure alignment in keeping with the project overall goal and objectives.
He said the assessment covered all project locations, including Montserrado County (Brewerville, Slipway, Caldwell, and Todee (Nyein Town)); Margibi County (Gibi Community); and Bomi County (Tubmanburg).
“The assessment identified various institutional assets and weaknesses. Some organizations are inclusive in their structure and activities, for example working and including people with disabilities and at the same time providing support. P4DP will work with these organizations in various ways in terms of livelihood needs, constraints, opportunities, etc.; enterprise development and providing startup capital for social economic, relevant training; and operational recommendations to strengthen project implementation strategy”, Mr. Shilue said.
Also speaking to the paper via whatsAPP from Stockholm where she is attending training on Gender, Land and Women rights, Mrs. Mrs. Deimah Kyne McCrownsey, Project Officer, said the exercise was a vigorous one, because her organization wants to work with groups that are committed to the project ideas and the same time that have track records of delivering.
The release praised the WPHF and UN Women for their immense support to institutional capacity development of Liberian women through various Liberian NGOs. It can be recalled that in 2020/2021, WPHF through the UN Women provided a project grant to P4DP to implement Mobile for the Promotion of Justice for Women and Girls’ Rights (Mobile4women) Project. The Mobile4women Project contributed to the promotion of gender-sensitive human rights (GSHR) in Grand Bassa and Urban Montserrado Counties through the use of a mobile audiovisual approach to conduct an evidence-based research on how women and girls in urban and rural communities experienced marginalization and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including identifying alternative justice options at their disposal. The forthcoming project will build on the previous project by using some of the findings to broaden the horizons of the communities on critical issues of social and cultural norms.
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