APPWA ends bi-annual retreat

By Femi Coker

Isata Jabbie Kabba

The All Political Party Women Association (APPWA), in collaboration with UNIPSIL and the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), has ended a two day retreat aimed at developing a framework for their strategic plan over the weekend at the Education Resource Centre at Magburaka, Kholifa Rowala Chiefdom, Tonkolili District.

The retreat brought together over thirty members of the association from right across the country.

Speaking at the ceremony the President of APPWA, Mrs. Isatu Jabbie Kabbah, said the retreat was called for them to meet as a family and discuss issues that are affecting them and to work a strategic plan which will serve as a bible for their operations.

She also stated that they will also find ways on how to take push the organisation to higher heights.

She said she was very happy to welcome new members into the association and to assure them that they were a large family who have concern for each other.

Mrs Kabbah also stated that she was happy to report that they now have about eight political parties registered with the association; and appealed to other parties that have still not joined them to do immediately.

In her remarks, the Vice President, Mrs. Rosaline Macarthy said that the focus of the organization is to bring all women in political parties on board in order to address issues affecting them.

She explained that the aspirant profile form which was launched a few months ago was to help build a data base of all women aspirants from different political parties in order to prepare them to contest for any political position irrespective of which party they belong to.

 She noted that they were still fighting for the thirty percent quota representation for women in uublic offices.

In her contribution, the Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Gertrude Karimu, called on the women of this country to commit themselves to the aspirations of the association as it is meant to fight for them.

In his statement, the Mediation and Programme Manager of the PPRC, Mr. Robert Paine, stated that the PPRC is responsible to support, monitor and regulate all the affairs of all political parties in the country.

He called on the women to work as a team in order to achieve their goals.