Education
Source: FOROYAA Newspaper
Following series of consultations for the development and integration of Gender Based Violence and Human Rights issues into the police training curriculum, the Women's Bureau with support from UNFPA recruited a consultant to develop a gender training manual. The training manual has been developed and reviewed by stakeholders.
The manual was presented to the senior police officers at a ceremony held at the Police Headquarters in Banjul on Thursday 25 April 2013. In her statement, the police commissioner Marie Ndure thanked the Women's Bureau on behalf of the entire Gambia Police Force, for the valuable training manual incorporated into the training modules taught at the Police Academy. She stated that this development could not have come at a better time. "As the Gambia Police Force is undergoing a fundamental reform process dubbed "Force for Good." One of the critical tenets of that reform process is capacity building of the police officers. The Police management is of the view that it takes well-trained and well-informed officers to deliver professional service to the people of The Gambia and the world at large, intimated Commissioner Marie Ndure.
Therefore she said, the Women's Bureau and UNFPA deserve all the commendations for coming up with such a brilliant idea to 'arm' our officers with the requisite knowledge which would enable us to achieve our objectives concerning issues of gender. She said that gender and human rights issues are no longer consigned to the backseat in modern policing; Democratic policing aims to safeguard individual's fundamental human rights and respect for personal dignity. The police she said are no longer allowed to arrest people arbitrarily, detain them and deny them their basic rights, e.g. right to a legal counsel, right to bail, right to be put before a court of competent jurisdiction within the stipulated time of seventy-two (72) hours.
She stated that the issues of gender are sensitive and therefore need to be handled delicately. "Although gender is role-defined, a good number of people are misinformed about it, she opined. She refers to gender as the cultural and socially constructed differences between men and women. Gender is determined socially; it is the societal meaning assigned to male and female, she added. She said the World Health Organization (WHO) defines gender as "those characteristics of women and men, which are socially constructed, while sex refers to those which are biologically determined." The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) defines gender relations as "a complex system of personal and social relations of domination and power through which women and men are socially created and maintained and through which they gain access to power and material resources or are allocated status within society," said Commissioner Ndure while addressing a ceremony held at the Police Headquarters in Banjul.
"In today's highly competitive society, the struggle for scarce resources is played out in gender relations. Men have a vantage point by virtue of their strong physique and social status. As a result of that, women are more vulnerable when it comes to issues of gender-based violence. This does not mean that men do not suffer abuse though but most of the time, women are at the receiving end of abuse. Nonetheless, addressing these and other issues pertaining to gender require a holistic response if we are to make meaningful progress as a society. Thus: the need for gender mainstreaming," advised Ndure. She added that: "In simplistic terms, gender mainstreaming entails the inclusion of gender issues in policy planning at all levels—micro and macro."
She said there is no place where this objective could be better achieved than the Police Academy; that that is where prospective Inspector General and Commanders are initiated into the morals of the police profession; that If the police recruits, who are undoubtedly the future policymakers of this institution, are acquainted with the contents of the manual, then they are assured of a humane and responsible police force for the Republic of The Gambia. Mr. Kajali Sonko Deputy Executive Director of Women's Bureau said development of the manual emanated from series of research and consultations with stakeholders particularly the Gambia Police Force (GPF) to be more specific the Police Child Welfare Office. He said that this is part of a joint effort of the stakeholders working towards the elimination of all forms of violence against women, girls, boys and men.
He stated that with the help of the Gambia Government they were able to domesticate the CEDAW, enact the Women's Act 2010, Children's Act 2005, Trafficking in Persons Act as well as the formulation of the Domestic system and acceptance of certain levels of GBV as normal within the cultural setting of the different ethnic groups. He said Anecdotal evidence has shown that well structured, organized and large scale interpersonal communication based on dialogue and trust coupled with aggressive capacity building and mass media sensitization within the public as well as the private sphere has the potential to reduce violence against children and women.
"That is why following the launching of this manual with support from UNFPA and Government of The Gambia, the Police Child Welfare Officer will conduct a series of Radio programmes and shows on Gender Based Violence across the country and the messages for this sensitization has already been developed, said Mr. Kajali Sonko Deputy Executive Director of Women's Bureau. The training manual contains 3 modules as in parts A, B and C. Part A contains unpacking and Understanding Gender. Part B: Increasing Knowledge on Gender Based Violence and Part C: Skills Building, which was presented by consultant Omar Dibba. The ceremony was chaired by the Police PRO David Kujabi.