Access to Legal Aid - Gambia

Overview of Legal Aid services in The Gambia

We have in existence a Female Lawyers Association of The Gambia (FLAG ), which is a non-political, non-sectarian, non-partisan, non-governmental and non-profit making Association made up of members of the legal profession who in various ways aims to contribute to the development and realization of the rights of women and children in The Gambia.

Services Provided by FLAG

• The Association has been providing legal representation to women and children in areas of custody, property rights, divorce, inheritance, rights of children under the Children’s Act and the Constitution. As well cases of sexual abuse, Gender based Violence and related crimes
• FLAG has carried out several sensitization seminars with different stakeholders on the provisions of the Women’s Act, Sexual Offences Act and Domestic Violence Act
• The Association is constantly working and forging links with sister organizations and partners within and beyond the jurisdiction.
• FLAG empowers youths to address gender based violence. In this respect, series of advocacy seminars were carried out in schools across the Greater Banjul area.

Requirements to benefit from FLAG services

• Small petty cash is needed to run the daily affairs at the FLAG secretariat
• Funds for rent and salary payments at the secretariat
• Monthly compensation to lawyers for the litigation of cases from the Association

Events organized by FLAG

1. FLAG recently conducted training of 15 social workers on Transitional Justice, sexual abuse and Gender Based Violence to which there was an open discussion on understanding of Human rights, human rights violations and its impact, trauma in understanding human rights and transitional justice mechanisms.
2. The training was actually meant to update knowledge on social workers so that they can know how to help victims they face in their various departments.
3. We are embarking on raising public awareness on social medias and communities in reaching out to victims of sexual abuse, gender based and related crimes…