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A new project, ‘Eradicating Harmful Traditional Practices through “Rights” Education’ has been launched in a bid to eradicate practices that negatively affect the health of women and girls.
The project, a partnership between The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices affecting the health of women and children (GAMCOTRAP), Save The Children and the UNIFEM, was launched Monday at an event hosted at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi, with objectives to create a favourable environment for the implementation of programmes to eradicate female genital mutilation in The Gambia by 2012 and to strengthen the capacity and skills of various actors intervening in targeted communities.
Speaking at the occasion, officer in charge of the UNICEF in The Gambia, Dr. Meritxell Relano said the project is significant to the evolution of child protection in the country as more communities will be better equipped with the right information to address traditional practices that affect the health and rights of women and children, notably FGM/C and early or forced marriage.
According to her, both FGM/C and Early or Forced Marriage contributes considerably to maternal and child mortality and morbidity in The Gambia. She also recognized the different initiatives currently in place to combat the problems/challenges, and which contribute to the attainment of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, and The Gambia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.
Dr. Relano called on all to consolidate gains, and create stronger synergies among all partners for more impact and better results. She added that it would be equally important to accentuate the important role played by the government of The Gambia, commending them for their commitment in promoting women’s rights through the ratification of international instruments. She said that the endorsement of national instruments and policies such as the Children’s Act, the Women’s Bill, and the National Gender Policy 2010-2020 further demonstrate the government’s commitment to promoting the protection of children and women; with focus on the girl child
According to her, the present project for the protection of children, promotes rights-based education for the abandonment of harmful traditional practices in The Gambia.
She also noted that to address child protection issues, approaches must be integrated and holistic, family centered, community-based, and upstream-focused. She said that the expected outcome of the new project is to reduce maternal and infant mortality, an increase of girls at secondary and higher education levels, and positive behavioural change in target communities towards harmful traditional practices.
Also speaking at the launching, Dr. Omar Sey, deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare expressed the hope that the project will engage communities in the region to reverse the trends of the practice.
He noted that his ministry is happy to be associated with the drive and already has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to integrate FGM issues into health promotion activities.
For his part, Governor Lamin Sanneh of Western Region noted that women and children have been subjected to discrimination, torture, violence, marginalization above all other harmful practices which are not conforming with the modern education and health best practices.
Governor Sanneh noted that in launching the project, there is the need for every Gambian to make a sober reflection of the past taking into account the many women and girls who have gone through those difficult times. “As the project is targeting the Kombos in the Western Region, which of course is one of the densely populated areas in The Gambia, I want to call upon the entire populace to start to dialogue and educate the people about the health implications of FGM especially with little children who are really traumatized in the process,” he said.
He therefore urged all the people of Western Region, especially the local authorities and the district chiefs to join hands with GAMCOTRAP in an effort to realize the objectives of the project.
For her part, Mrs. Anniken Tyden, regional director, Save the Children, Sweden noted that they have been working for 30 years now to ensure children’s rights. She added that they also work on child’s protection and work with the Civil Society Organizations to strengthen communities.
Dr Isatou Touray, GAMCOTRAP’s executive director said that the project is geared towards the creation of a favorable environment for the implementation of programmes aimed at eradicating Female Genital Mutilation in The Gambia and is dedicated to the Kombos of the Western Region for a three year period, 2010-2012.
According to her, the Western Region is a very strategic location that requires tremendous efforts to address the growing concern of the prevalence of FGM. She also noted that the direct beneficiaries will include community leaders, men and women, circumcisers, traditional birth attendants, women of reproductive age, security officers, regional leaders, key stakeholders, community based facilitators and teachers, school authorities and young people.
She went on to highlight the work of GAMCOTRAP and the role they play in informing the society on harmful traditional practices.
“It will be recalled that in May 2007 GAMTRAP led a movement for change the first public declaration ever held in The Gambia of 18 circumcisers from 63 communities at a dropping of the knife celebration. This has been followed by a second public declaration involving 60 circumcisers and 351 communities in December 2009,” she said.
Dr Touray further revealed cases where she said that young girls worked into GAMCOTRAP offices to seek for protection from FGM and early marriage.
She noted that the media will be effectively engaged particularly the community radios to ensure a wider coverage of issues coming not from GAMCOTRAP, but from the beneficiaries who will serve as agents of change. The strategies to be developed from the meeting with key stakeholder will form a holistic approach in ending FGM in the region and subsequently in The Gambia
She finally appreciated the involvement of UNIFEM and Save the Children to accelerate the work on the elimination of FGM in The Gambia.
The project is part of efforts to rout FGM and other harmful traditional practices in Senegal, Guinea, Mali and The Gambia by 2012.