By: Humu-Hani Adam, Gender Equality Promotion Coordinator, WEE-NORTH Project, Ghana

Global Goals week is an opportunity to reassert our commitment to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals to build a more sustainable future. One of the projects helping Alinea to move toward achieving those goals is WEE-NORTH

The WEE-North project is a five-year project funded by Global Affairs Canada and Implemented by Alinea International in Northern Ghana. The project works with families, technical training institutions, and industries to have young women from remote and underserved communities break gendered stereotypes by introducing them to trades such as bricklaying, electrical installation, plumbing, carpentry, welding, and small engine repair. The project seeks to train 2,000 young women from age 18-35 in these male-dominated, industrial trades.

WEE-North is the first project in Northern Ghana to provide a comprehensive program in industrial trades training to young women. It involves practical competency-based training, soft skills and empowerment sessions, counselling, and workplace experience learning. After they have completed the training program, all graduates join the WEE-Group in their district to benefit from mentorship to start their businesses, along with additional training, savings and loans, and social support.

By the end of 2022, we will have trained 850 young women from all 55 districts in the five regions of Northern Ghana. They will bring much-needed skills into their communities, some of which do not have skilled tradespersons. Women will also have a source of income through valued and decent work.

One of our graduates, Fatima, says, “During my married life, I never earned a Cedi ($0.20 CAD) and was totally dependent on my husband. Now, as a bricklayer, I earn 40 cedis ($8.00 CAD) a day which helps me take care of my family and save for the future.”

Udeida, another graduate and mother of three children, says that her life has changed through WEE-North: “Before I joined the project, we used to fetch water from a community borehole (well). After my WEE-North training at Dabokpa Technical Institute in Tamale, I had my workplace experience with the Ghana Water Company. With my training and hard work, I’ve been able to install a tap in my house, so I don’t have to fetch water at the well anymore. People contact me to fix their pipes on a regular basis and I even have a new job as an assistant plumbing instructor at the technical institute where I trained. My community celebrates my new skills and respects me because I am the first woman plumber they have known.”

Fishetu is from a remote community and tells of a dramatic transformation in her life. She is from Mamprugu-Mougduri in Northeast Region, a district which is called “overseas” because it is flooded and cut off from the rest of the region six months per year. Fishetu was involved in a sports accident, that now affects the way she walks. After completing high school seven years ago, she moved to the big city of Kumasi far away from her home to become a head porter in the largest market in West Africa. Because of her limp, she didn’t get much work. Instead, she was exploited and abused, and couldn’t even make enough money to go back home. In June, Fishetu heard about the WEE-North project from a friend back home and she quickly called the hot-line. Because of her special circumstances, WEE-North provided transportation for Fishetu to travel from Kumasi to Tamale. She is currently studying carpentry and woodwork at Tahamayili Technical and Vocation Institute, one of WEE-North’s residential training sites, where she is well cared for during the training program. When she graduates, she will be the first woman carpenter to offer woodworking services in her district. She encourages her friends to come home and learn a trade.

“I want to say a big thank you to WEE-North, Alinea and Global Affairs Canada for this life-changing opportunity to become empowered and skilled.”

There are many young women in Northern Ghana like Fatima, Ubeida and Fishetu who are working hard to change the face of industrial trades in Northern Ghana by breaking stereotypes and achieving greatness through the WEE-North Project

alinea’s whistleblower policy

1.1 Purpose

The following Whistleblower Policy has been established to provide guidance to Alinea International employees and sub-contractors on how to deal with known or suspected improper conduct within the organization. The objectives of this Policy are to:

Create awareness of the Policy and available whistleblower protections
Act as a reference guide to potential whistleblowers wishing to make a disclosure
Define the structure of the whistleblower system, including reporting and investigation procedures, whistleblower protections, and confidentiality, among others
Improve the communication and transparency in the processes associated with whistleblowing and assure protection against derogatory consequences, namely reprisals and detrimental action
Complement the current communication channels between employees, sub-contractors and immediate managers, and hierarchical channels flowing to the President and Senior Management team
Provide guidance to all parties involved in either whistleblowing or whistleblower protection.

1.2 Scope

Alinea requires all employees and sub-contractors to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. All employees and sub-contractors of Alinea are required to comply with applicable laws and regulations of Canada and the countries where we operate. Any allegations of known or suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources will be dealt with in accordance with this Policy, and reasonable steps will be taken to protect those who come forward with allegations. Alinea’s Whistleblower Policy covers both internal and external whistleblowing, and establishes the controls and procedures for dealing with allegations of malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. This Policy is intended to encourage employees and sub-contractors to report known or suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources and to enable Alinea’s Senior Management team to address and correct inappropriate action. It is the responsibility of all Board of Directors’ members, the Senior Management team, employees and sub-contractors to report concerns about known or suspected malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. This Policy is applicable to all employees and sub-contractors of Alinea International.

1.3 Reporting Procedures

Alinea recognizes the value of transparency and accountability in its administrative and management practices and supports the making of disclosures that reveal improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources. Our internal controls and operating procedures are intended to detect and prevent malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. As detailed in Alinea’s Employee Policy and Onboarding manuals, employees and sub-contractors are encouraged to share complaints and/or concerns regarding ethical or legal violations with their immediate managers. If the employee or sub-contractor is not comfortable speaking with their immediate manager or is not satisfied with the response, they are encouraged to speak with the Gatineau or Calgary Office Managers, the Vice Presidents or, as required, the Chief Financial Officer. All members of the Senior Management team are required to report complaints and/or concerns about suspected ethical or legal violations in writing to Alinea’s Ethics Committee who has the responsibility to investigate all reported complaints and/or concerns. In the event that the complaint and/or concern is about the President, it should be raised by the employee or sub-contractor to their immediate manager or the Ethics Committee who will determine how the investigation will proceed. All reports will be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective measures will be taken if warranted by the investigation. Alinea’s Ethics Committee is responsible for acknowledging receipt of the suspected violation and notifying the whistleblower of the outcome of the investigation. Anyone filing a written complaint concerning suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates a violation. Personal grievances or complaints related to employment are not covered under Alinea’s Whistleblowing Policy. For cases such as this, employees and sub-contractors are advised to first refer to Alineas Employee Policy and Onboarding manuals when considering a disclosure under the Whistleblowing Policy. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and which prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense.

1.4 Confidentiality

Maintaining confidentiality is crucial to ensure reprisals are not made against the whistleblower. Alinea is committed to safeguarding the identity of the whistleblower and to protecting the whistleblower against detrimental action taken in reprisal for allegations of suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources. The Ethics Committee is responsible for ensuring whistleblowers are protected from direct and indirect detrimental action, and that the culture of the workplace is supportive of suspected allegations being made. Any employee who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment.

1.5 Review

Alinea is committed to implementing ‘best practice’ policies and procedures for dealing with allegations of suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources (as defined by this Policy) and the management and protection of whistleblowers making allegation(s). This Policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it meets the objectives of relevant legislation and remains effective for Alinea, and may be changed at the discretion of the Board of Directors at any time. For allegations of fraud, securities law, or human rights concerns, or when you are not satisfied or uncomfortable with following the Company’s open door policy, individuals should contact the Company’s Ethics Committee directly.

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Global Goals Week: WEE-North Empowers Women Through Trades

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