By: Binta Jaiteh
National Assembly select committee has produced bills that seek to end all forms of discrimination against women, children and youth in the country.
And on Saturday, the committee convened a dialogue at youth monument to seek practical solutions to ending discrimination including sexual offenses and assaults on the group.
Hon Ousman Sillah chairman of the committee said: “it started at the fourth session of the National Assembly in December2019 when the plenary following the conclusion of the second reading of women (Amendment of Discriminatory Laws) bill2019, and sexual offences (Amendment) bill 2019.”
He stated that,
“Committal of the sexual offences (Amendment) bill, 2019 to the appropriate committee “For detailed investigation report, as per clause 68 (2), the select committee immediately set itself to work and plan a meeting in order to accomplish the task,” he added.
He said: “the circumstance behind the women act bill section 15(a) says inserting immediately after subsection(1) a new sub-section as follows, that second amendment of women act (2) for the purpose of special measures provided in sub-section (1), it shall be mandatory for every public institution, authority or state owned enterprise to ensure that.”
According to him, sexual offence Act (In this Act referred to as the principal Act”) is amended as set out in this Act, and the new section, adding “4a –attempted rape, a person who any person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to seven years imprisonment.”
Hon Fatoumatta Jawara lawmaker for Talinding said: “there are a lot of women act but they are conflicted on the constitution, adding that the amendment bill for 2020 came to put an end to attempt rape of a minority.”
Hon Saikou Marong, Alagie S. Darboe, Musa Amul Nyassi, Sulayman Saho, Ndey Yassin Secka all lawmakers and members of the committee echoed similar remarks.