GAMBIA: police declare zero tolerance for gender-based violence

Gambia's Assistant Superintendent of Police Yahya Fadera on Wednesday declared there will be zero tolerance for gender-based violence, in particular rape and sexual assault against women and girls, warning that perpetrators will have no place to hide.

Fadera made the declaration in Banjul on Wednesday at the opening of a training workshop for law enforcement officers on violence against women and children.

The training was organised by The Gambia Police Child Welfare Unit in collaboration with the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies and police Gender Action Team (GAT) at the National Nutrition Agency (NNA) Conference Centre in Kanifing.

The training, which was attended by members of The Gambia Police Force, the National Intelligence Agency, The Gambia National Army and the Immigration Department, was aimed at sensitising security officers on the gender protocol and gender-based violence.

According to him, the government is committed to the fight against all forms of violence and discrimination against women and children.

'My ministry will continue to bolster the capacity of our security forces, in particular, the Gambia police force, to enable them to achieve their noble mandate of protecting lives and maintaining a violence-free society,' he said.
Fadera asserted that as a government, women and children would remain the focus of their attention and hope for a brighter future, adding that creating a child-friendly, women-friendly Gambia is a commitment they have set to achieve.

He admitted that gender-based violence is both immoral, criminal and a serious violation of the rights of women and children, asserting 'but merely voicing out rage is not enough. We have to move from words to actions'.