Female
Lawyers Association of The Gambia (FLAG), with the financial support of
ActionAid International The Gambia, recently held a daylong training for senior
police officers on methods of providing legal counselling in cases of
gender-based violence.
The
purpose of the training, held at NaNA on Thursday, is to familiarise the
officers on how to counsel and guide victims of gender-based violence.
Jainaba
Nyang, ActionAid director of communications, said violence against women is not
well documented in The Gambia as the number of cases reported is insignificant.
“The
number may be higher than known given the fact that most incidents largely go
unreported,” she said.
According
to a study by ActionAid in 2007, the culture of silence has made women to
suffer in silence and even whereas they are encouraged to take bold steps to
report the matter to the police, in most instances they withdraw as they do not
want to have their linen washed in public.
The
Gambia has signed and ratified several international conventions that address
gender based discrimination and violence.
These
include the Women’s Act 2010, the Protocol the African Charter on Human and
People’s Rights, the Rights of Women in Africa, the Sexual Offences and
Domestic Violence bills address issues associated with violence and
socio-economic empowerment of women.
Mrs
Nyang said the enactment and ratification of these statues demonstrate The
Gambia government’s recognition of the need to address the problem of domestic
violence in The Gambia.
As
regards ActionAid, she said in its current Country Strategy Paper, ActionAid
efforts focus on programme activities aimed at eradicating poverty and
addressing the root causes of injustice that contribute to poor people
exclusion.
“In
pursuit of this mission ActionAid has forged partnership with several
organisation at local and national levels including FLAG,” Mrs Nyang said.
Haddy
Dandeh-Jabbi, president of FLAG, said domestic violence mostly affects women
but men also fall victim.
“Domestic
violence is a problem that affects all nations and societies,” she said.
The
UN declaration to eliminate violence says violence against women means any act
of gender-based violence that results in physical and sexual harm.
Section
17 of the Domestic Violence Act, 2013, states that any person in domestic
relationship who engages in a domestic violence commits offence and is liable
on conviction to a fine exceeding D50,000 and imprisonment not exceeding two
years or both.
