U.S. Embassy Banjul held first Digital Video Conference to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Senior Magistrate Kumba Sillah (right) and other participants taking part in the DVC

On Wednesday, November 26, 2008 Political and Commercial Officer Tashawna Bethea held the first DVC at the Embassy first floor conference hall on gender based violence in response to Secretary Rice’s call for post to mark November 25 as “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The DVC was done in partnership with ARS Paris and Dr Beatrice Patsalides, an American clinical psychologist spoke on the importance DDB and its economic and social impact on women and the disadvantaged.

During the lively questioning sessions, Kumba Sillah Kamara, a senior Magistrate in charge of the children’s court asked about the relationship and the effectiveness of the different international protocols on the elimination of violence against women.

After the live DVC, Amie Bojang, the Program coordinator at GAMCOTRAP, a Women’s Right organization in the Gambia said,” Violence exist and cuts across rural – urban barriers, literate and illiterate women, it also cuts across different ethnic groups, race, culture and religion”. 

Lively Debates continued for more than two hours after the end of the live DVC and the audience was shown a short documentary on violence against women. The ceremony received extensive font page coverage on all the major newspapers and on the national TV station and stimulated many conversations on the radio.