Banul, 7 Jauary 2026: The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare (MoGCSW), with support from the P2-P2RS Project, has conducted a five-day capacity building for 25 agricultural extension workers drawn from the West Coast Region, Lower River Region, Central River Region North and South. The training was held at the Jenoi Farmer Field Training Centre from 15 to 19 December 2025.
The P2-P2RS Project—Project 2 of the Programme to Strengthen Resilience to Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the Sahel ¬¬- is a key initiative aimed at improving food and nutrition security in The Gambia through inclusive, gender-responsive and resilient agricultural systems.
In her opening remarks, the Director of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at MoGCSW, Mrs. Mariyenn G. Jabang, described the training as critical to the effective delivery of agricultural extension services. She commended the P2-P2RS Project for its gender-sensitive approach and for recognising the importance of integrating gender considerations into day-to-day agricultural operations.
The objective of the training was to strengthen the capacity of agricultural extension workers to integrate gender equality, Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH), and Violence against Children (VAC) considerations into agricultural programming under the P2-P2RS Project.
Speaking at the opening, the Regional Director of Livestock, Mr. Sarjo Camara, noted that the programme could not have come at a better time. He emphasised the depth and relevance of the training content and urged participants to take the sessions seriously in order to effectively apply the knowledge at the community level.
Mrs. Halimatou Colley, Gender and Social Safeguards Officer at the P2-P2RS Project, explained that the initiative aimed to enhance extension workers’ understanding of gender concepts and gender mainstreaming in agriculture. She added that the training also sought to improve awareness of GBV, SEAH and VAC, strengthen referral and response mechanisms, address farmer-related constraints in agricultural service delivery, develop practical skills for implementing gender-responsive and protection-sensitive services, and promote cross-sectoral collaboration between agriculture and protection actors.
At the close of the training, the Deputy Director, Mrs. Neneh Touray, said the programme had equipped extension workers with the skills required to support the identification, reporting and referral of GBV, SEAH and VAC cases at the community level through the project’s Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and other relevant national structures.
On behalf of the participants, a representative expressed appreciation to the P2-P2RS Project and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, noting that the knowledge and skills gained would enhance their professional work and positively impact the communities they serve.
Both the opening and closing ceremonies were chaired by the Principal Gender Officer, Mr. Siaka Marong.
By Sarjo M Camara
