THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA’S COMBINED REPORT ON THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN & PEOPLES’ RIGHTS & INITIAL REPORT ON THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA THEME TWO: PROTECTION OF WOMEN FROM VIOLENCE 2.1 Bodily integrity and dignity, including sexual violence, trafficking of women and medical and scientific experimentation. (Article 3&4) The Gambia has taken a number of measures to protect the integrity and dignity of women. Section 28 of The Constitution of The Gambia provides for the right to dignity for all persons. Various legislative and administrative measures have been put in place to prohibit exploitation of women and to ensure the protection of every woman’s right to dignity and protection against all forms of violence. Section 4 of the Women’s Act 2010 also provides that every woman is entitled to respect for the dignity of her person, and accordingly, no woman shall bea) subject to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; b) held in slavery or servitude; or c) required to perform forced or compulsory labour. The Women’s Act further prohibits any form of physical, sexual, psychological, or economic harm, suffering or violence occurring in public or private. Further, Section 9 and 10 prohibits discrimination against women by public or private enterprise. The Sexual Violence Act 2013 also prohibits any form of violence against women. The Agency has conducted numerous investigations especially against alleged cases of trafficked girls to Lebanon. The Agency has its own Investigators and prosecutors and despite the fact that there are no convictions, preventive measures are being taken by the Agency in collaboration with the Law Enforcement Agencies to stop traffickers The Agency is purely being funded by The Gambia Government. There is a shelter for trafficked victims under the purview of the Department of Social Welfare. 136