Safe
Hands for Girls (SHFG) in partnership with IHRDA Tuesday commenced a two-day
intensive training of prosecutors and child welfare officers on The Gambia’s
legal provisions on FGM and other practices against girls.
Speaking
at the opening ceremony held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, Mrs Jaha Dukureh,
Chief Executive Officer of Safe Hands for Girls (SHFG), said the police
prosecutors are the protectors of society.
She
said recently, The Gambia passed law against FGM and child marriage, adding
that these laws are here to stay.
Mrs
Jaha emphasised that the police prosecutors and child welfare are here to
protect citizens, adding that as an organization, they thought it was very
important to train child welfare officers, magistrates and judges so that the
laws could be implemented and upheld in the country.
She
thanked the participants for their willingness to take part in the training,
adding that they are hoping whatever comes out of the training could be used to
help implement and uphold the laws in their individual community.
Mr
Oludayo Fagbemi, on behalf of the executive IHRDA, stressed that it was very
important that police prosecutors, child welfare officers as well as
magistrates are on the same page when it comes to enforcement of the law.
He
said the reason for the training was to let these officers know what the
obligations are that they have when it comes to enforcement of these laws.
For
his part, the deputy IGP Mamour Jobe, urged the participants from the different
police units to take the training course very seriously, adding that ‘before
you are able to do anything, you must be conversant with it.’
He
said the training course was meant to improve their knowledge on how to deal
with children and other young persons.
Mr
Jobe said they should try to inculcate and share the understanding that they
gained during the training to help others.
Matilda
Mendy, senior State Counsel opined that the initiative was very much in line
with the government ingenuity and programmes at the peak to support and promote
the implementation of the laws created by the government.
She
remarked that in order to achieve these results, the Ministry of Justice was
committed to working relentlessly with other key stakeholders in the area of
promoting and protecting the right of women including the girl child.
“Over
the years the ministry of justice has facilitated the ratification of various
international and regional instruments formulated to protect children,” she
declared.
According
to Ms Mendy, the government has put in place other legislations that are geared
towards the protection of women and children, especially the girl child from
sexual and other forms of abuse.
The
Gambia seeks to ensure that the rights of children both boys and girls are
provided with required legal protection in order to safeguard future
development, she added.
