ABC-Development has held a one-day Annual Accountability Policy Dialogue at the Kambia District Resource Centre to discuss gender equality, social accountability, and service delivery issues affecting women in Kambia District.
The meeting was organised under the project titled “Supporting Gender Equality and Social Accountability through a Strengthened Civil Society in Kambia District.” The project is funded by the European Union through Trócaire, the lead partner for the consortium.
A total of 37 participants attended the dialogue, including 20 women and 17 men, among them two persons living with disabilities. Participants included councillors, representatives of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), civil society organisations, community stakeholders, youth, and women in governance.
The dialogue brought together duty bearers and community members to discuss service delivery challenges identified during previous town hall meetings across four wards in the district. Key issues discussed included education, health, agriculture, women’s empowerment, gender-related concerns, and monitoring of public services.
Speaking during the meeting, ABC-Development explained that the organisation is non-political and works with communities, especially vulnerable women and persons with disabilities, to promote women’s participation in leadership and decision-making. The organisation also highlighted the need for improved service delivery and greater inclusion of women in governance structures.
All five invited MDAs were present at the meeting. These included the Teaching Service Commission, the District Health Management Team, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs.
Participants actively contributed to discussions, and several action points were agreed. These included increased field monitoring by MDAs, reporting of abuses in communities, improved management of government school subsidies, inclusion of women in School Management Committees, and increased support for women in agriculture.
Despite a brief technical challenge with the power supply, which was quickly resolved, the meeting was described as successful, with strong participation and engagement.
ABC-Development said it will continue to follow up on the agreed action points and include the outcomes of the dialogue in its annual project report.
