By Ramatoulie Jawo
The United Nations Human Rights Commission, in collaboration with its sister agencies, commenced a three-day training on Monday for the National Assembly’s Committee on Gender, Children, the Social Committee on Human Rights, and the Committee on Health at a local hotel in Kololi.
The training aims to raise awareness about children’s rights and how to integrate them into legislation and policy development. It also seeks to enhance the capacity of National Assembly Members to promote and monitor the implementation of women’s empowerment and gender equality standards.
Throughout the training, lawmakers will learn about the role of parliamentarians in promoting and protecting human rights, the state of The Gambia’s reporting to human rights governance mechanisms, and the challenges and perspectives of various measures, among other topics.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare, Hon. Fatou Kinteh, expressed her gratitude to the UN Resident Coordinator for collaborating with other agencies to engage three National Assembly select committees in strengthening their capacity to promote and protect human rights in The Gambia.
“Violence against women and children in our society continues to be underreported despite the efforts of the Government and other actors to curb the problem. Child sexual abuse, child begging, early and forced marriage, child labour, child trafficking, and exploitation continue to be challenges with significant adverse consequences on children’s health and well-being and the heart ached of every mother,” she said She added that no country could truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of their contributions. The potential of women to transform societies and economies and the power of an educated girl to transform her family, community, and country is immense.
“The Government of The Gambia has signed and ratified major international and regional human rights instruments relating to children and women progressively working together to promote the rights of vulnerable groups such as women, children, persons living with disabilities and persons living with HIV/AIDS,” she emphasized.
The UN Resident Coordinator, Karl Frederick Paul, emphasized that training national assembly members on key human rights issues including children’s rights, gender equality, and health is crucial for developing effective policies and protective laws.
“This gathering represents a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to uphold human rights including promoting gender equality and safeguarding the welfare of children and vulnerable populations in The Gambia, the Gambia has embarked on a transitional justice process, underscored by the establishment of key institutions such as the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), he highlighted.
He stated that these efforts have been instrumental in shedding light on past injustices and advancing initiatives aimed at fostering a society built on principles of justice, equality, and respect for human rights.
“The threat to the repeal of the anti-FM law highlights the fragility of our established rights. Addressing issues like gender-based violence, child protection, and legislative reforms must remain top priority in our legislative agenda, necessitating innovative solutions rooted in international human rights norms and standards,” he said.
The Chairperson of the National Assembly standing committee on human rights, and Constitutional Matters, Hon. Madi MK. Ceesay urged the members of the committees to pay attention to all the deliberations so that when they leave the hall they will be able to protect the rights of the vulnerable people.
Hon Ceesay added that the purpose of the training is to build the capacity of the members of committees on human rights issues, and they are expected to deliver their duties and responsibilities in our various committees.
“ We are, therefore, urged to take the training seriously so that when we leave this hall in three days we will be guided with principles shared here to make sure we effectively protect our people, especially the vulnerable groups,” he said.
Emanuel Daniel Joof, the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, underscored the importance of promoting and protecting human rights in any given country.
Mr. Joof said International conventions and national laws obligate states to respect, protect and fulfil these rights, thereby promoting global standards for human dignity and equality, especially that of women and children.
“Human rights are the bedrock of a just and equitable society. And as members of the National Assembly, it is your responsibility to safeguard these rights within our legislative framework,” he mentioned.
Gambia’s lawmakers would also be trained on the National Human Rights Mechanisms to promote and protect the rights of children and gender, progress made, challenges encountered, and the way forward.
This training comes barely a month after the Lawmakers rejected the Women’s Amendment Bill that sought to repeal the ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).