Group Photo Of The Stakeholders During The Consultation Forum
By Ramatoulie Jawo
Women in Liberation and Leadership (WILL), a non-governmental organization committed to advancing and safeguarding the rights of women and girls in The Gambia, organized a stakeholder consultation forum on Monday to mark the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. The event took place at a local hotel in Kololi.
The 16 Days of Activism is an annual global campaign aimed at the prevention and elimination of gender-based violence (GBV) against women and children. This year’s theme, “From Awareness to Action! Uniting Communities to End Gender-Based Violence in The Gambia,” focused on galvanizing collective efforts to combat harmful practices.
The forum brought together a wide range of participants, including advocates, government representatives, international agencies, and community members, all united to raise awareness of the pervasive issue of GBV in The Gambia.
During the event, Jo Ashley, the representative of the British High Commissioner to The Gambia, addressed the audience. She highlighted that nearly 41% of women aged 15 to 49 in The Gambia have experienced intimate partner violence, emphasizing that these statistics represent real lives in the country. Ashley reiterated the UK’s commitment to supporting the government in its fight against gender-based violence, through partnerships with communities and civil society organizations.
“We have supported the Gambia’s Judiciary over the years through the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association to develop sentencing guidelines. The collaboration led to the establishment of a guidelines council and the adoption of sentencing standards for rape and other forms of sexual harassment, ensuring justice for survivors,” she said.
She announced that the UK is reaffirming its commitment by increasing funding for programs addressing gender-based violence, particularly the UN joint program aimed at eliminating FGM. This funding will support grassroots initiatives and expand advocacy efforts to ensure that women and girls have access to the justice and support they rightfully deserve.
She stressed that ending gender-based violence requires more than just words; it calls for sustained, collective action. “Together, we must empower women and girls to engage men and boys and create safe spaces for all,” she said.
WILL plan to host several other initiatives to promote a culture of awareness, education, and action, and they hope all stakeholders will join them in this vital campaign.
Dr. Fatou Baldeh MBE, the founder of WILL, reaffirmed that her organization will remain committed to combating all forms of gender-based violence in The Gambia over the next 16 days and beyond.”We have a series of activities under the 16 days. There is a day dedicated to human rights which is the last day, which would be December 10. We hope to organize a big event to raise awareness around gender based violence and women’s rights because women’s rights are human rights,” she said.
Dr. Baldeh also expressed plans to observe World AIDS Day, which falls within the 16 Days of Activism. Additionally, WILL will engage in outreach activities, educating communities about various forms of gender-based violence, such as child marriage and FGM.
“We are going to remind Gambians that the law against FGM was upheld, and we need to respect the law, and we need to increase more awareness on the issues, not just FGM, but generally other forms of gender based violence including domestic violence”she highlighted.
Global statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that approximately one in three women worldwide—30%—have experienced either physical or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence during their lifetime, with intimate partner violence being the most common form.
Awa Touray, a participant at the forum, shared her hope of learning more about her role in ending gender-based violence and advocating for women and girls in her community. “Most of these people are not speaking up because they are confined in their zones, or maybe they are afraid to speak up, of being judged, or maybe people would not believe them. Because when you come up, people would say you are coming up with stories. And for men and boys this is also their fight in ensuring that they are there for their sister to make sure they are in safe environment,” she said
WILL calls on all stakeholders to join forces in raising awareness, sharing knowledge about gender-transformative interventions, and fulfilling their obligations under international human rights law to protect women and girls from gender-based violence in The Gambia.