Sunyani: The Stewards Impact Foundation (SIF), a non-governmental organization, has initiated a 12-week capacity training program aimed at enhancing the conflict resolution skills of queen-mothers in the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regions.
According to Ghana News Agency, the program is designed to empower 200 selected queen-mothers in peacebuilding and community-based justice systems, in alignment with national efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16. This global goal encourages the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies and the establishment of effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions by 2030.
In an interview during the opening session of the training in Sunyani, Odombarima Baffour Awuah Akomea Sakyi, CEO of SIF, detailed that the program aims to equip the queen-mothers with practical skills in conflict prevention, mediation, and traditional dispute resolution. The training also seeks to promote gender equality by providing leadership, advocacy, and governance skills, enabling the participants to actively engage in decision-making processes.
Odombarima Sakyi, a sub-chief of Asupra in the Dormaa Traditional Area, highlighted that the event would also include employable skills training, such as soap-making, to improve the socio-economic conditions of the queen-mothers. He emphasized the program's goal to enhance local government, women leadership, and inclusive participation while strengthening the leadership capacities of traditional women for community resilience.
He further added that the training is structured in a series to promote gender-responsive leadership and support sustainable development through strengthened local government systems.