Beakanyang sensitises over 30 youth in WCR on FGM/C, Human rights

Rights group, Beakanyang Kafo, Sunday sensitized more than thirty youth on Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (FGM/C) and human rights in Mandinaba, Kombo East District.

Addressing the participants, Executive Director of Beakanyang, Nfamara Jawneh said FGM/C was not initially part of their mainstream programmes but they decided to bring it because they deemed it as an important aspect.

“If young people understand the effects of FGM/C, it will give them the courage to participate in addressing it,” Mr Jawneh said, adding that although it is a deeply rooted cultural practice in The Gambia, together they can all address it through sensitisation on the negative effects and dialogue.

Mr Jawneh said FGM/C is a decades long cultural practices of which women and girls continue to suffer from in silence, saying researches have concluded that there are many health implications associated with it.

The discussions centered on anti-FGM/C laws in The Gambia and Mr Jawneh said as a human rights advocacy group, they will not sit and watch peoples’ right being violated without doing anything.

“Our approach is to tell the people the implications and health effects of the practice. We have to open the conversation to learn more about the practice because this world is changing and it is important that we all understand our rights.”

Alhagie Jassey, the group’s West Coast Region coordinator said Gender-based violence is a phenomenon deeply rooted in gender inequality, and continues to be one of the most noticeable human rights violations within all societies.

He said it is a violence directed against a person because of their gender, saying both women and men experience gender-based violence but the majority of victims are women and girls.

“However, using the ‘gender-based’ aspect is important as it highlights the fact that many forms of violence against women are rooted in power inequalities between women and men,” he said.

Beakanyang’s 2019 Human Rights hero, Mr Jassey said the convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, as the benchmark for international legislation on attempting gender-based violence must be strengthened.

Speaking on behalf of Mandinaba Village Development Committee, Ebrima Jammeh called on the young people to be active participants in the development of their communities and in helping their fellow youth to become responsible.