NGBV launched 16 days nationwide campaign

By Pa Modou Cham

Network against gender base violence, on Monday launched 16 days nationwide campaign to raise the awareness of the people towards violence against women.

The launching was held at Westfield monument and was graced by difference organisations.

The national coordinator, Network Against Gender Base Violence (NGBV) Haddy Mboge Barrow explained that gender base violence otherwise called violence against women and girls because it disproportionately affects women and girls, and it is a grave human right violation.

She added that it comes in many forms such as physical, sexual, psychological and emotional violence which all have serious consequences ranging from immediate to long-term. “The consequences negatively affect not only women’s generally well-being and realization of their potentials, but also deplete a nation’s human capital and undermine development.”

She pointed that far too long, immunity; silence has allowed violence against women to escalate to pandemic proportions one in three women worldwide experience gender base violence. She added that The Gambia, the DHS 2013 revealed that 41% of women age 15-49 have experienced physical violence at least once since age 15.

She confirmed that The Gambia is a signatory to many international and regional treaties and conventions that protect and promote the rights of women and children such as the convention of the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW), the convention on the rights of the child and the Maputu protocol and more.