Gambia
Committee on Harmful Traditional Practice Affecting the Health of women and
girls (GAMCOTRAP) has recently sensitized school dropout children on harmful
traditional practices and education in Brikama.
The
UNICEF funded activity aimed at enlightening the school dropouts on the effects
of harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and early
and forced marriage.
Fatou
Bojang, GAMCOTRAP field coordinator said the forum aimed at enlightening the
school dropouts on the importance of education as well as raising their
awareness on harmful traditional practice.
“This
project is also meant to help the school dropouts to continue their education.
It cannot be implemented without the dedication of the dropouts in education,”
she said.
Madam
Bojang warned the young girls to avoid early and forced marriages, saying this
traditional practice has severe health complications to women and girls.
She
said FGM is another traditional practice affecting the wellbeing of women and
girls in the society, adding that it has serious health complications such as
excessive bleeding during birth and reduction of the woman’s sexual desire,
among others.
Madam
Bojang, also a women right activist called on the participants to respect their
dignity as women and not to compromise with sexual harassment by men in the society.
Haruna
Badjie, social welfare officer for West Coast Region (WCR) said early marriage
is unacceptable and no person has the right to drop his or her child from
school for marriage, adding that every child has the right to education.
The
social welfare officer said a child of less than twelve years cannot be
arraigned in the court despite the content of the crime he/she committed.
He
said under age children should not be enrolled in any security institution such
as the armed force and they should not be given jobs that will be harmful to
them. “A child of sixteen years can be given risk-free employment,” he further
said.
Fatoumatta
S. Jallow, one of the participants commended the organization for sensitizing
the school dropouts on the relevant of education and the health effects of
harmful traditional practices.
