By Kemo Kanyi
Pro-women groups have begun a three-day capacity-building training on transitional justice and reparations taking place at Metzy Hotel.
The training is aimed at strengthening leadership, governance, and psychosocial advocacy skills of the participants.
It is being organized by the Women’s Association for Women and Victims’ Empowerment (WAVE) in partnership with the African Transitional Justice Legacy Fund and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
The training brings together executive members of women support groups to enhance their role in the national transitional justice process for victims of the former regime of Yahya Jammeh.
Speaking on behalf of WAVE, Priscilla Yoga Ciesay urged participants to actively engage in discussions and contribute to strengthening support mechanisms for victims and survivors.
She said women victims should identify their roles and contributions as the country moves into the next phase of transitional justice.
“How can you play a part to ensure that victims and survivors’ participation remains engaged, sustained, and relevant? This includes your position on continued reparations, memorialization, prosecutions, security sector reforms, and guarantees of non-recurrence,” she said.
Ciesay notes that some victims have already received reparations while others are still waiting payments as the process continues under the transitional justice framework.
Awa Njie, president of the Kanifing Municipality women support group, described the training as important, saying it would strengthen their engagement with authorities on issues outlined by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC).
Meanwhile, Mariama Bojang, a victim from Jambur, called for reparations to be distributed in a fair, transparent, and accountable manner to protect the integrity of the process.