Strengthening Support Systems: Gambia Hosts 3-Day Global Training on Protecting Women from Violence

Group Photo Of the Participants At a Local Hotel In Kololi 

By Ramatoulie Jawo 

The Banjul City Council (BCC) is currently hosting a three-day international training event titled “Towards Caring Territories for Women Victims of Violence.” Organized by the United Cities of Local Governments (UCLG), the conference is taking place at a local hotel in Kololi, Gambia.

The event brings together 20 mayors from various cities across Africa, with a primary focus on discussing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The training aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences among stakeholders regarding policies and programs aimed at combating violence against women. It is being held within the framework of the international program “Caring Territories for Women Victims of Violence” for the period 2021-2024.

Rohey Malick Lowe, the Mayor of Banjul City Council, expressed gratitude to the government of The Gambia for their consistent support in making the event a success. Emphasizing the importance of the training, she highlighted that addressing violence against women involves multiple components, such as women’s empowerment, economic empowerment, justice, and issues like FGM and early marriages.
“This event is all about gender-based violence, it’s all about violence against women and this is an open secret that violence against women is happening, and it is a reality and when we talk about violence against women we are not only talking about beating women or so. Violence against women has many components for example, when we talk about the empowerment of women, economic empowerment of women,  justice for women, beating of women, early marriages, and FGM, these are all violence against women so we are saying solidarity to the women,” she highlighted.” 

Lowe urged women to unite and show solidarity, emphasizing that collective support can make a difference in addressing the various forms of violence against women. She acknowledged the presence of supportive male partners, expressing gratitude for their motivation.
“I am so grateful to our partners. I cannot name each and every one of them, but i am so grateful to see men being around us that also give us the motivation to say we can even do more,” she said. 
Mr. Joan Charles Allard, Charge d’affaires of the French Diplomatic office in the Gambia, called for collective responsibility to end gender-based violence. He highlighted the prevalence of sexual violence and inequalities faced by women in various aspects of their lives on the African continent. Allard stressed the need to eradicate and condemn practices like female genital mutilation and forced marriages.
“Women face sexual violence in all aspects of their lives and encounter strong inequalities economically, politically, and socially on the African continent. Female genital mutilation and enforced marriage remain particularly prevalent forms of violence against women and must be eradicated and condemned, and it’s not only in Africa
“Many women experience too much fear or are ashamed to ask for help, often paying for their silence with their lives,” he said.
Amanda Flety, the Coordinator of the United Cities and Local Governments, underscored their commitment to advancing gender equality and empowering women in local democracy. She mentioned the organization’s two-decade commitment to gender equality and the increasing number of women assuming mayoral roles globally. 
“UCLG is a long-standing commitment to advance gender equality and empower women in local democracy. These commitments started as a pledge 20 years ago, and become a reality over the years as we witness a significant increase of women assuming the role of mayors worldwide,” she said 

She expressed that their organization is actively supporting the emerging generation of elected women, who, through their daily teachings, emphasize that the transformation goes beyond a mere shift in power. It represents a profound commitment to defending women’s rights and reshaping the daily lives of women in their communities.

Additionally, under the leadership of the Seine-Saint-Denis Committee, they have decided to initiate an international advocacy and implementation effort to combat violence against women. This program, developed by local governments for local governments, aims to explore collective actions that municipal bodies can take to safeguard women and girls. They seek to identify and promote local policies that contribute to the elimination of violence against women. Furthermore, they aspire to reinforce their UCLG agenda on gender equality, acknowledging that addressing violence against women is integral to advancing this agenda.
“With this project, we aim at exploring together what can local governments do to protect women and girls and examine which local policies we can promote to eradicate violence against women. We also hope to strengthen our UCLG agenda on gender equality, recognizing that combatting violence against women is instrumental in this agenda,” she said.