ACHIEVEMENTS

TRAINING WORKSHOPS targeting young women leaders

Strategic Organizing for Women’s Human Rights – March 2000

Civic Advocacy for Women Leaders in Ghanaian Tertiary Institutions I – May 2000

Civic Advocacy for Young Women Leaders II – February 2001

Women’s Leadership, Human Rights and Democratic Participation Training Course I, Volta Hall, University of Ghana, Legon – October 2001

Women's Leadership, Human Rights and Democratic Participation Training Course II, Good Shepherd Home, Accra - October 2001

Women's Leadership, Human Rights and Democratic Participation Training Course III, Presbyterian Women's Centre, Abokobi, January 2002

Women's Leadership, Human Rights and Democratic Participation End of Project Forum for Alumnae, Presbyterian Women's Centre, Abokobi - March 2002

Contemporary Women in Leadership and Advocacy Public Event - March 12th 2002

Women’s Leadership, Human Rights and Advocacy Training of Trainers Workshop – 8th – 13th September 2002

Women’s Leadership, Human Rights and Advocacy Training of Trainer’s Workshop- 13th – 18th January 2003

Women’s Leadership. Human Rights and Advocacy TOT Evaluation Project – 21st – 23rd May, 2003

First Annual Young Women’s Leadership Conference – 22nd May, 2003

The Women’s Leadership Development Training Program -November 2005

Women’s Leadership, Human Rights and Advocacy Training Program February – 6th March 2004

Second Annual Young Women’s Leadership Conference
Women’s Leadership and Human Rights Training Program – 23rd 29th October 2004

Women’s Human Rights Advocay Training of Trainer’s – 23rd – 29th January 2005

Gender Analysis and Community Work Practice – 10th – 16th April 2005

Third Annual Young Women’s Leadership Conference - 26th - 28th July 2005

Since the Program’s inception in March 2000, the WLHRI has conducted a total of 16 one-week courses and several other capacity building activities targeting young women at tertiary and post tertiary levels aged between 20 – 40 years, ready to take up the mantle of advocacy and activism in Ghana on critical women and gender issues.

So far, the WLHRI has trained over 500 young women countrywide in women’s human rights, leadership and advocacy skills, personal and career development among others.

Trainees, who become alumnae of the Institute, go back to their communities, institutions and workplaces and work to bring change in attitudes and practices that undermine women’s advancement and human rights, as well as contribute their knowledge to the development of their communities.

These WLHRI courses have provided alumnae with opportunities to participate in advocacy, debates and dialogues on current critical gender and social development issues, as alums are linked to other coalitions and networks’ sites, and share platforms with other women’s rights advocates and civil society actors.

Many have organized workshops and served as Resource Persons and Facilitators both with The Ark’s training workshops, occasional events and in the public domain – workplace, Religious Settings and in their homes.

Many of them have also gone ahead after the training to pursue and attain higher educational degrees in their chosen field of work. A number of them have become leaders of organizations and national networks advocating human rights issues. A number have stood for executive positions in their institutions and have won or lost honourably, but not given up. For, others the skills and concepts acquired have enabled them to develop the courage and will to run for political office.

Most have also become more vocal and more visible in their work, promoting the rights of women within their homes, communities and society as a whole.

They have also provided written evidence suggesting that the benefits that have added up to them, exceeds their mind's eye and expectation, in terms of the impact on their personal and professional lives. (Create link to what alums have said)

The Institute has organized 3 Annual Project Evaluation and National Alumnae Conferences to keep track with alums work, monitor how they have applied learning gained and their personal development. In addition, the Institute has offered assistance to alums in their follow-up activities, passed relevant career, educational and professional development information to them through the active maintenance of an online listserve, as well as provided one-on-one counseling to individual alums where they have faced personal or professional challenges.

At the Conferences, alums in attendance provide progress reports, detailing activities undertaken, challenges faced, and requests for enhancement of capacity, where necessary.
Currently, ten alumnae networks have been formed as a result and networks keep in touch with each others work through online discussions. An alumnae listserve has also been developed to facilitate the sharing of information on higher educational and career opportunities, to engage in debates on issues of concern and to share inspirational situations with each other.
These courses have been supported by CIDA, the Human Rights Project Fund of the British Government, African Women’s Development Fund and recently CORDAID, an international funding body.

COMMUNITY WOMEN LEADERS TRAINING

Women’s Human Rights Training for Community Women Leaders I, Atimpoku, Asuogyaman District, Eastern Region – February 2001

Women’s Human Rights Training for Community Women Leaders II, Sunyani District, Brong-Ahafo Region -–June 2001

Women’s Human Rights Training for Community Women Leaders III, Ga District, Greater Accra Region – October 2001

EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK

75 women leaders in Ghanaian grassroots communities have also been trained to become focal points for addressing women's human rights violations within their communities, a project that was supported by Democracy and Human Rights Fund of the American Embassy in Ghana.
Feedback indicates that the women leaders have been disseminating the information received, and accompanying other women and children with problems for redress with relevant state agencies. The women leaders are asking for further training to strengthen their capacity to respond better.
However, project support is needed to follow up on their work and make available further advanced capacity- building.