The Basic Foundation for Women Empowerment (BFWE), a Non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Bolgatanga, has trained a group of health workers as part of measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The training, organised in collaboration with Planned International Ghana, with financial support from Global Affairs Canada, attracted many health professionals from rural communities such as Kalbeo and Sirigu in the Bolgatanga Municipality.

Madam Juliet Abajong, the Executive Director, BFWE, said the programme was to build the capacity of rural health workers on the coronavirus to enable them to ensure that women, as well as other community members, were educated well enough to live a COVID-19 free life.

"We know the impact of the Coronavirus is widely felt across the world but women in particular are going to be the most affected because they would experience violence and other forms of setbacks."

Madam Abajong expressed worry over the impact of the pandemic on businesses, especially women-led enterprises, as many women were the sole breadwinners of their families.

The Executive Director called on stakeholders to join the NGO to ensure that gender-based violence was widely curbed.

The NGO had earlier rolled out a five-year project to empower women economically and equip them to take up leadership roles to contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.