The two days training would also equip them with knowledge on Sexual Reproductive Healths and Rights of girls and women to effectively advocate and ensure a more effective approach to responding to such issues in the communities and Market places.

Mr Mutaru Goro Iddrisu, the Programme Analyst -Population and Development of the UNFPA, implementers of the project said advocacy, sensitization and capacity building had become cardinal over the period of implementation in the Western Region to ensure a more impactful project.

The four Districts benefiting from the project are the Nzema East, Wassa Amenfi East, Wassa East and Ahanta West.

The goal was to reach a zero tolerance of Gender Based Violence in communities while promoting access to family planning Services.

Mr Iddrisu said the four-year project was designed to raise consciousness to abuses and discriminatory practices and the need to court holistic societal living to ending such activities.

Mr Fredrick Agyemang, the Chief Director of the Western Regional Coordinating Council and implementing partners said there was a critical need to deploy the best mechanism to tackling such issues in communities.

He charged the Officers to ensure gender mainstreaming into policies, plans and programmes across all assemblies and provide technical backstopping to the market leaders.

The Chief Director said the training had been extended to market leaders and other districts adding, "We however could not call only four GDOs knowing well that issues on Child Marriages, Teenage Pregnancy and other discriminatory tendencies usually against girls or females is widespread in all communities. "

Mr Agyemang noted that sexual and reproductive health and rights were critical for empowering women and girls and advancing gender equality – both to realize their rights and their access to health services.

He therefore called for commitments of all to promote healthy societal living.

Ms Maribel Okine, the Western Regional Director of Gender said the overall objective was to train 14 Gender Desk Officers and 20 market leaders to strengthen local capacities, to advance gender equality; prevent and respond to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and other related issues.

The participants would be taken through sexual violence against women and girls, Reproductive health rights and understanding gender-based violence, among others.