plans and legislations to ensure gender equality,  the Decentralisation Secretariat in the Ministry of Local Government  has  organized a three-day  training programme for a cross section of Civil Society Organisations and relevant officials of four Local Councils on the importance of Gender Mainstreaming and Key Dimensions of Gender Perspectives in the activities of Component 1 and 2 of the Japanese  Social Development Fund Project  at the Conference Hall of the Port Loko District Council.Giving his Keynote Address at the opening ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Philip Tetema Tondoneh, described Gender Mainstreaming as a key contemporary issue which does not only deals with women  and expressed government’s determination to address challenges facing the process.  He proffered a number of justifications of the need for gender mainstreaming, including violation of women and other vulnerable groups rights to property, education and other forms of violations. He referred to Gender Mainstreaming as a very vital aspect in the implementation of the JSDF Project and urged development partners including Local Councils to integrate the process in their work plans. Women and Children, he said suffered the most during the Ebola epidemic, noting that the project will raise awareness, enhance social cohesion and promote peace in communities. “It is the intention of Framers of this project to alleviate the sufferings of Ebola Survivors”, he said and urged the Decentralisation Secretariat and Local Councils to ensure they interlink all components of the project and organize programmes that would capture Ebola Survivors. Director of Decentralisation Secretariat, Alex Bonapha, said most of those who died during the Ebola epidemic were women who served in most cases as Care Givers of Ebola infected people, adding that the project will lay a solid foundation for the inclusion of Gender Mainstreaming in Local Council’s Development Plan and activities. The Capacity Building Manager of Decentralisation Secretariat, John Braimah who did a presentation on Component 1 of the JSDF project–Social Sensitisation and Local Councils Service Delivery –post Ebola context, described the project as one that very gender sensitive. On the status of the project he said a number of activities have been undertaken such as memorial service, planting of trees and dedication of projects to Ebola victims, noting that the project which targets 50,000 direct beneficiaries  must cater for 50% of Women as beneficiaries at the end of its implementation among other considerations.  He disclosed plan to organized a National Forum for Ebola Survivors and families with the aim of sharing experiences and addressing their concerns. The Gender Specialist, Decentralisation Secretariat, Margaret Kaitibie, stressed the importance of Gender Mainstreaming in the implementation of the Japanese Social Development Fund Project. Government, she said, is committed to  Gender Mainstreaming, pointing out that successive governments have translated these commitments to concrete actions, although more needs to be done. She said Sierra Leone is a signatory to so many International, Regional and Sub-Regional Frameworks for the promotion of gender equality and underscored the need for government and institutions to integrate Gender mainstreaming, into their policies, plans, programmes and legislations.