The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Princess Dugba, has called on women in the country to engage in sustainable fishing farming activities.
She says it would serve as alternative sources of livelihoods for them.
At the program, agriculture equipment and other inputs were symbolically presented to Women in Agriculture(WIAN).
The support came from UN WOMEN at Ma-Nyande Village, Tinkoko, Bo District.
Mrs. Dugba spoke about the enormous potentials women would stand to benefit from particularly in the field of fisheries and aquaculture.
She received a consignment of aquaculture equipment and other Inputs, donated by UN WOMEN through Women in Agriculture WIAN.
She said one of her ministry’s flagship programmes was to empower women to do fishing.
The ministry, she said, “will ensure women in every nook and cranny of the country are encouraged to engage in aquaculture.”
She said she looked forward to a symbiotic relationship between her ministry and agriculture ministry to promote government’s avowed Feed Salone programme.
She said, “Mining has not done much for us in terms of sustainable development” and she thanked UN WOMEN for their gesture.
She appealed to development partners for more help to enable her ministry realize its goals.
A representative of UN WOMEN, Kadijatu Jalloh said, “their mandate is to support government’s agenda especially those relating to the economic empowerment of women.
She pledged her organization’s continued support to ensure that women and youths are engaged in sustainable commercialized farming.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Teneh Dick, commended President Bio for his visionary leadership and trust in women as leaders occupying higher positions in his administration.
She stressed the need for women to practice mechanized farming and assured farmers of her ministry’s desire to enhance the implementation of the Feed Salone Programme.
President of the National Federation of Sierra Leone Farmers, Yatta Sama, highlighted the strides women are making in promoting sustainable economic development in the areas of agriculture and fisheries sectors while advocating for more assistance.
President of Women in Agriculture Network, WIAN, Juliet Lavalie said, “their vision is to foster strategic partnership that would break barriers and promote economic empowerment for women.
The team was later led on a conducted tour on the facilities already existing in the Fish Farming Experimental Station in Bo.
The tour was led by the Minister of Fisheries, and was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Elizabeth Hawa Ellie, and the Director of Fisheries Kadijatu Jalloh and other staff of the fisheries ministry.
By Max A. Konneh, Media Coordinator, MFMR