KAIPTC staff undergo gender mainstreaming, sensitisation workshop

The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has held a training and sensitisation workshop for its staff on gender mainstreaming in Accra. 

The five-day workshop was aimed at enhancing the capacity of senior staff and gender focal points to effectively implement the centre’s gender mainstreaming agenda.

The training would help equip the participants with the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to address identified gaps, integrate gender perspectives into policies, programmes and operations, as well as promote gender equality.

It is aimed at raising awareness and deepening the understanding of the amended KAIPTC Gender Policy, fostering collective responsibility and equipping staff with the knowledge and tools needed to accelerate action towards gender equality and inclusion across the Centre.

The workshop is also geared towards, the commemoration of the 2025 International Women’s Day on the theme: “Accelerate for Action”.

In line with the global theme for 2025, it reaffirms KAIPTC’s commitment to taking strategic actions through the implementation of its Strategic Objectives Plan (2024-2028) to accelerate and achieve gender equality and social inclusion in KAIPTC and beyond. 

Commitment

At the opening ceremony for the workshop, the Deputy Commandant of the KAIPTC, Air Commodore David Nettey Akrong, said the workshop reaffirmed the Centre’s “commitment to promoting gender equality and ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated into all aspects of our work”.

He emphasised that gender mainstreaming was not just a policy or a checkbox exercise, but a transformative approach that required deliberate and sustained efforts to address inequalities, challenge stereotypes and create inclusive environments.

The Deputy Commandant added that the workshop was KAIPTC’s recognition that “peace and security cannot be achieved without the full participation and representation of all genders”.

In her remarks, the Acting Director of the Women, Youth Peace and Security Institute (WYPSI) at the KAIPTC, Horname Noagbesenu, reinforced that gender mainstreaming in an organsation was important because it helped promote gender equality and address discrimination and inequality based on gender.

She said by integrating gender perspective into all policies, programmes and activities, organisations could ensure that the needs, concerns and experiences of both men and women were taken into account.

Ms Noagbesenu indicated that “implementing gender mainstreaming can lead to increased productivity and efficiency, as well as improved decision-making processes”.

“It can also help organisations attract and retain diverse talent, enhance their reputation as an inclusive and equitable employer, and better serve their clients and customers,” she said.

She added that as part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to gender equality, such as Goal Five, which aims to “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”, it was prudent that organisations implemented gender mainstreaming.