The two-day training, which was held at the Gambia Trade Union Bureau (GAMTUB), Jimpex Road, Kanifing, was funded by Amplify Change in partnership with Action-Aid through Network Against Gender Based Violence.
Burry Tunkara, President of Association for the Defense of the Right of Domestic Workers and Household Helpers (ADDAD), said the training is designed to sensitise domestic workers on sexual and gender based violence, saying most domestic workers go through a lot of negative vices in communities.
She explained that majority of the victims, who suffered the most abuses are women, noting that people marginalise women either physically or through economic means.
“That’s why we bring you together to sensitise you and to inform you what is really happening. And when this kind of issue arises, this is the way to solve it. Right now, as you can see, we will always keep pushing with our partners, especially like Network Against Gender Based Violence. They have been supporting us a lot in partnership with Action-Aid.”
Satang Dumbuya, Advocacy Campaign Officer, at Network Against Gender Based Violence, said the training is supported by her office through partnership with Action Aid and Amplify Change.
“This is because we feel it is necessary for domestic workers to understand what gender based violence is all about. We have done previous training with the same domestic workers, but we are now working with another group of domestic workers, and this would continue over time to make sure that we learn and teach others and this knowledge reaches as far as wide as possible.”
Lamin Fatty, secretary general of ADDAD Gambia, underscored the importance of the training, acknowledging that most domestic workers need to be trained on necessary skills about gender based violence in their work places.
Fatou Samba-Njie, and Sainabou Jobe, both participants, expressed appreciation to the organisers for the move, saying the knowledge gained would help them a lot in their work places.
