Gushegu (N/R), July 14, GNA – Norsaac, a civil society organisation (CSO) based in the Northern Region, has built the capacities of women groups on good handcrafted shea butter production practices, at Gushegu.
The training was to ensure that the women produced shea butter that meets locally and internationally acceptable standards.
It formed part of Norsaac’s Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Girls Project (EROP), being implemented in Zanteli, Bulgu, Borgu Kunnaayili, and Nawuhugu communities in the Gushegu Municipality.
It is being implemented in partnership with Ghana Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Alliance for Young People, WOMEN IN NEED (WIN), and Africa Centre for Human Rights and Sustainable Development (AfCHuRSD), with funding support from the Dutch Embassy in Ghana.
The EROP seeks to promote women and girls’ economic empowerment through livelihood and entrepreneurial skills development in the beneficiary communities.
It also seeks to contribute to the realization of gender equality and opportunities for women and girls to live successful lives in the country.
Madam Rita Dampson, Chief Executive Officer of Ritadamps Ventures, an international shea butter production entity, who facilitated the training, took participants through the steps involved in producing safe and hygienic shea butter.
She said shea butter production was one of the means that could stimulate employment and economic growth for young women in the northern part of the country.
“But this requires that women into its production add value to it, while processing the products under hygienic and standardised conditions”, she noted.
Mr Abdulai Hussein, Business Development Officer at the Gushegu Municipal Business Advisory Centre, reiterated the need for the women to add value to their shea products to help them gain access to expanded markets for increased income generation.
Mr Hamza Abdallah, Safe Communities Manager at Norsaac, explained that as part of the EROP, beneficiaries would be linked to enterprises that are into buying and selling of shea products to help accelerate the growth of their businesses.
Meanwhile, as part of the training, participants were sensitized on the concept of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), its causes and how they could help to curb such issues in their communities.
Mr Mohammed Jafaru, Gushegu Municipal Director of Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), urged the women to report any act of SGBV to the appropriate institutions for action.
This, he noted, was the surest way through which women could contribute to ending the menace in society.