By: Kebba AF Touray & Mustapha Jallow
The Network against Gender-Based Violence (NGBV) will join the rest of the world to commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
This was unveiled on Monday 25th November 2019 during a press conference at the ActionAid International-The Gambia Headquarters.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is “End Gender-Based Violence on the World of Work”.
Halimatou J Jesuorobo, the Project Manager NGBV, underscored that the conference was to brief the media on the forthcoming two weeks’ activism campaign
Fallu Sowe, National Coordinator NGBV, said the day is aimed at raising concern relating to violence affecting women and girls.
He said they will ensure that actions are taken to address the issue of sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls.
“The campaign aims to harmonize our efforts to end all forms of sexual and gender-based violence in the Gambia. The theme reflects the core principle of the transformative 2030 Agenda”, he said.
He said gender-based violence is a grave Human Rights violation and it comes in the form of physical, sexual, psychological and emotional violence, all of which have serious consequences ranging from immediate to long term effects.
He reminded that Gambia is a signatory to international and regional treaties, which include convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, but these instruments are not enforced.
This among other treaties should embed enforcement to ensure that they serve the purpose for which they were enacted, he added.
He decried that despite these pieces of legislation, violence against women and children is still high.
He said during the campaign, the Network will inter alia remind duty bearers of their duty to protect women and girls, awareness creation on legal instruments that protect the rights of women and girls, amplify voices of sexual violence survivors, break silence and encourage open and honest discussion on sexual and gender-based violence among others.
