MONROVIA, Liberia — Medica Liberia has begun a nine-day training aimed at equipping government officials, civil society actors, community leaders, and media practitioners with tools to challenge harmful social norms and strengthen community action to prevent violence against women and girls.

The training, launched in Montserrado County, forms part of the SASA! Together Set-Up and Start Phase Training of Trainers under the Liberia Spotlight Initiative 2.0, funded by the European Union through UN Women.

The initiative is preparing a network of facilitators who will take the SASA! Together approach into communities across Liberia’s eight Spotlight counties.

The first training cluster includes participants from Montserrado, Grand Bassa and Grand Cape Mount counties, while a second cluster covering Bong, Lofa, Nimba, Grand Gedeh and Maryland is expected to convene in Bong County later in September and into October.

A total of 72 participants from the eight counties are expected to complete the training.

Opening the session, Medica Liberia Country Representative Cllr. Yah V. Parwon challenged participants to look beyond completing the training and receiving certificates, emphasizing that the real measure of success will be the change the approach creates in communities.

“Our purpose is to help build communities where women and girls can live safely, exercise their rights and participate in decisions that affect their lives,” Parwon said.

She explained that SASA! Together is built around understanding power — how it operates within relationships and communities, how unequal power can contribute to violence against women, and how individuals and communities can use their influence to create positive change.

Parwon also stressed that preventing violence requires sustained community engagement rather than one-time awareness campaigns.

She urged the trainees to respect the knowledge already existing within communities and to see themselves as part of a wider network of SASA activists responsible for supporting lasting social change.

Civil Society Organizations Commit to the Initiative. Civil society organizations participating in the training say they intend to integrate the SASA! approach into their existing programs.

Lisa Tenneh Diasay, President of the Female Journalists Association of Liberia, pledged FeJAL’s support in documenting the initiative and highlighting its impact in communities.

Marian G. Deah, National Administrator of the National Coalition Against Harmful Practices, said the training provides an opportunity for her organization to strengthen its efforts to address harmful practices and social norms.

For youth-focused organizations, the training is also being viewed as an opportunity to influence behavior from an early age.

Shamella E. Matthews, Executive Director of the Rising Youth Mentorship Initiative, said many behaviors seen among adults begin during childhood.

She said her organization hopes to integrate SASA! into its school clubs and mentorship programs. Alfreda Foboi Nmah, Executive Director of Helping Our People Excel, said her organization plans to link the approach to its livelihood programs across several counties. UN Women: SASA! Is Central to Prevention Efforts: UN Women Liberia says SASA! Together is a key methodology under the prevention and social norms component of Spotlight Initiative 2.0.

Dhogba G. Mabande, Programme Analyst at UN Women Liberia, said the approach will guide community engagement efforts aimed at addressing power imbalances, promoting positive masculinity and preventing sexual and gender-based violence.

Mabande encouraged participants to take the training seriously, noting that they will be responsible for carrying the methodology into communities.

Government Backs Community Engagement: The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has also reaffirmed its support for the initiative.

Edward E. Gboe, Spotlight Coordinator at the Ministry, said meaningful development requires communities to be involved in decision-making rather than being treated only as beneficiaries.

He said the government recognizes the importance of working directly with local communities in strengthening mechanisms to respond to social challenges.

From Training to Community Action, the nine-day training is expected to move beyond classroom learning.

Participants will develop county-specific action plans outlining how they will engage stakeholders, enter communities, build partnerships, recruit Community Activists, and launch Start Phase activities.

Medica Liberia says the organization will continue to support the trainees through mentorship, coaching, and field monitoring as they begin implementing the SASA! Together approach.

The broader goal is to move prevention efforts from awareness to sustained community action, with trained facilitators expected to help communities examine power, challenge harmful norms, and create safer environments for women and girls.