The initiative dubbed ‘Mobile Legal Aid Clinics’ is being supported by Clooney Foundation for Justice and forms part of their broader initiative designed to raise awareness and provide free legal services to the most vulnerable.
It also seeks to provide phyco-social support to community members particularly women and children on various legal issues including family law, gender-based violence, property rights, inheritance, child custody and maintenance, marriage and divorce.
The session is divided into two parts; first day dedicated to community awareness and the second and last day focusing mainly on mobile legal aid clinics, where they will meet affected individuals one-and-one.
Welcoming the gathering, Abdoulie Jammeh, Councillor Brufut Ward, lauded the initiative as a milestone achievement towards promoting the rights of women and children.
He described the move as one in the right direction, acknowledging that nowadays there exists many problems within the community that is affecting the rights and wellbeing of women and children and that this advocacy is meant to empower participants in addressing some of those challenges.
Sohna Jaw, coordinator of FLAG, first reminded that the association was established in 2006 dedicated to empowering, protecting the rights of women and children.
“Our core mandate is to provide pro bono legal services to the most vulnerable women and children. To advocate and lobby the holistic empowerment of women and children using the law.”
The community advocacy, she said, is being supported by Clooney Foundation basically to help women access justice.
“We understand sometimes is hard for women to come and trying to see lawyers, because assessing lawyers can be expensive. That is why with support from Clooney Foundation for Justice we decided to reach out to women. We are conducting this activity across the country and today we are here in Brufut.”
The mobile legal aid clinics, she added, is a chance to learn from each other, further calling on them to feel free to interact and share some of the issues affecting them individually and to see how best to redress them.
Alasan Gitteh, an expert and gender activist, who is also one of the resource persons, dwelled on the religious aspect rights relating to women and other forms of Gender Based-Violence. He called on people to do away with the cultural beliefs that education is only meant for men, stressing the importance of education and the need for both genders to acquire and live better lives.
Another resource person, Mass Gaye also talked about the health aspect and some of the challenges affecting the health and wellbeing of women and children in society.
