Pamplemousses COE

The role of a priest or priestess is not only to pray, celebrate weddings, or have prayers for the dead. For me, being a Councillor and a Priestess have come together to allow me to help vulnerable women. Being a Councillor, I know all the problems of my region, and have to make sure that my community lives in a secure place. Being a Priestess lets me use prayer to help women heal from the trauma of gender based violence.

I have travelled a long road with Gender Links, starting with a village workshop in 2008 at St. Malo. During the Gender Links and Media Watch Organisation workshop, I heard the word SADC for the first time in my life, let alone the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. I remember quite well that at this workshop we were given little pamphlets on the SADC Protocol with beautiful Mauritian pictures of children and women breaking stereotypes. The workshop was very informative with a national and regional understanding of gender issues.

Lagaite can now talk with confidence on the SADC Protocol, on Gender and HIV and AIDS as well as Gender and Climate Change, thanks to Gender Links. She also said that she knows her rights and laws that protect women. Lagaite became more confident, and is not afraid to speak in public. She is now prepared to train other women. She said that she became knowledgeable about gender concepts, and can now train other women. "We are councillors, but had it not been to Gender Links we would not have had the techniques on gender issues and how to talk in public and in the media."