The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has commenced a two-week Training of Trainers (ToT) series on the newly developed Standardized Gender Training Manual for Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) instructors. The training programme aims to equip 60 instructors and Gender Advisors from GAF training schools with the skills to incorporate gender perspectives into their curricula. Dubbed 'Enhancing Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) Capabilities to Address Barriers to Women in Peacekeeping', the initiative forms part of the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations - a partnership between the Canadian government and GAF, to address barriers to women's participation in peacekeeping missions. The training follows the successful validation and pilot testing of the gender-sensitive manual, a significant milestone in GAF's journey towards gender inclusivity. Major Genral Richard Addo Gyane, Commandant, KAIPTC, who highlighted the importance of gender mainstreaming in peace operations, said the manual would serve as a tool to ensure inclusivity and equal opportunities for all personnel. He stated that with approval from the GAF High Command, the instructors would play a pivotal role in ensuring that gender concepts were deeply ingrained in the training processes from the recruit level to senior staff courses. 'One of the deliverables of the on-going Elsie Initiative Project is to develop standardised gender-sensitive training manual for all levels of training, including the Recruit Training Schools and Military Academy, Basic NCOs and Young Officers' Courses as well as Sergeant Majors Course for Senior Staff College,' he said. Maj Gen Gyane said the Women, Youth, Peace and Security Institute with support from GAF staff embarked on a sensitisation tour in the various garrisons of GAF to sensitise personnel on the need to mainstreaming gender into GAF policies, structures and training programmes to create equal rights and opportunity for both men and women in the services. Ms Bertha Desmennu, Senior Lia ison Officer, Canadian High Commission, expressed Canada's commitment to supporting Ghana's efforts to recruit, train, and deploy more women in peace operations. She said a gender-responsive force was critical to operational success in peacekeeping missions, adding that, 'having a diverse, gender-responsive peacekeeping force that models gender equality increases operational effectiveness, and therefore prospects for peace. 'Having more women in armed forces and peacekeeping operations improves trust with local communities and enhances access to critical information, which ultimately protects civilians and peacekeepers alike,' the Senior Liason Officer observed. Ms Desmennu said recognizing that conflict affected women, men, boys and girls in different ways, Canada and Ghana were committed to the Women, Peace and Security agenda, adopted by the United Nations Security Council in 2000. 'Recognizing that women and men can contribute to peace operations in different, complementary ways, is why Canada launche d the Elsie Initiative in 2018. It is also why the Ghana Armed Forces and the KAIPTC are working so hard at mainstreaming gender, increasing women's recruitment, and improving the GAF's ability to integrate women in the organization, and ultimately to deploy them in larger numbers to UN peace operations,' she further explained. Lieutenant-Colonel Rhonda Mathews of the Canadian Armed Forces, sharing Canada's journey towards gender equality in the military, applauded the strides the GAF had made. She encouraged participants to embrace their role in the transformative process, and that by continuing to improve women's participation in military training, they would grow into a force that represented and protected all of society. Group Captain Theodora Agornyo, Gender Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff, reiterated the significance of gender equality within the armed forces and urged participants to fully engage and fully participate in the training. 'The work ahead is immense, but together, we can make gender inclusivity a permanent feature of our operations,' she stated. The ToT series is a culmination of years of collaborative efforts between GAF and its partners, with a view to increasing the deployment of women in UN peacekeeping operations and enhancing overall mission effectiveness. Source: Ghana News Agency