Africa-Press – Mauritius. A half-day workshop aiming to educate local authorities on Domestic Violence was organised, this morning, at the Trianon Convention Centre in Quatre Bornes.
This seminar is an initiative of the Ministry of Local Government and Disaster Risk Management in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Mauritius.
The Vice Prime Minister (VPM), Minister of Local Government and Disaster Risk Management, Dr Mohammad Anwar Husnoo; the Ambassador of the Embassy of Japan in Mauritius, Mr Shuichiro Kawaguchi; the Officer-in-charge of UNDP, Dr Tony Muhumuza; and other personalities were present for the opening ceremony.
In his keynote address, Dr Husnoo outlined the objective of this workshop which is to foster a vibrant local democracy by giving adequate training to councilors thus ensuring the smooth running of councils.
The VPM deplored that Domestic Violence has spread throughout the island like a plague affecting every category of professional, cultural, and age group. He thus affirmed the Government’s unwavering pursuit through initiatives and strategies to combat Domestic Violence and Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
On this score, Dr Husnoo dwelt on measures taken in this regard, notably: the launch of the mobile application ‘Lespwar’ in 2020; the setting up of a High-Level Committee to eliminate Domestic Violence and GBV under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, in January 2020 and; the operation of three Family Support Bureaus (FSB) and five Family Support Services (FSS) across the island.
He also elaborated on the significance of Protection Orders, Occupation Orders, and Tenancy Orders issued under the Protection from Domestic Violence Act for the safety of victims.
In addition, Dr Husnoo commended the establishment of an Integrated Support Centre that enables victims to contact authorities around the clock and which operates in conjunction with the FSS and FSBs around the island.
In the same vein, both Ambassador Kawaguchi and Dr Muhumuza emphasised the crucial need to tackle and combat Domestic Violence, underscoring the responsibility of authorities to respond promptly.
Ambassador Kawaguchi also hailed the Ministry’s efforts to educate the public and give them the means to act in challenging situations, stressing the importance of raising awareness to reduce domestic violence cases in Mauritius.
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