By Kemo Kanyi
The Women’s Association for Women and Victims’ Empowerment (WAVE) will commence its second edition of the Human Rights Festival over the weekend.
The festival is meant to educate the public, foster stakeholder engagement, and pay tribute to victims of torture.
In 2023, WAVE launched The Gambia’s inaugural Human Rights Festival, coinciding with the International Human Rights Day in support of victims of torture on June 26.
The ground-breaking event which is the first of its kind since the establishment of the organisation, will provide a vital platform to spotlight human rights concerns champion the elimination of torture, and uphold the value of human dignity.
The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture reflects on the heinous nature of torture, which seeks to dehumanize individuals and violates their inherent dignity.
Despite being prohibited under international law, torture persists globally, often justified under the guise of national security. The systematic practice of torture constitutes a crime against humanity and is unequivocally condemned globally by human rights groups and institutions.
The Gambia ratified the Convention Against Torture and enacted anti-torture legislation in 2023.
The four-day event will kick off from June 22 to June 29 at Q-City. Expressive art therapy and women’s empowerment skills and training will take place before moving to Janjanbureh in the Central River Region.
This year’s Human Rights Festival theme is: “Strengthened Partnerships and Collective Action to Combat Torture and Support Victims.”
It would be recalled that on December 12, 1997, the UN General Assembly designated June 26 as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, emphasizing the eradication of torture and the enforcement of the Convention against Torture.