Neneh
Touray, the assistant director of Information, Education and Communication of
the Women’s Bureau has stated that negative cultural tradition practices that
affect our wellbeing should be abandoned.
“Positive
cultural traditional practice should be maintained in our society. However,
those that affect our health condition should be abandoned, “she stated.
The
women’s Bureau assistant director of Communication made this remark at
Darsilameh village in Brikama South District of the West Coast Region.
The
sensitisation outreach within the WCR was organised by Women’s Bureau with
funding from UNICEF.
The
discussion of various meetings, she added, centered on Women’s Amendment Act
focusing on the deep rooted cultural traditional practices such as; Female
Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), Children Amendment Act among other child
protection issues.
She
said despite the fact that the laws still exist, however, many people don’t
understand it. “Therefore, there is need to sensitise the people on the
significance of the laws and the consequences and penalties involved in the
menace.”
Mrs.
Touray added that the law enforcement officers need to speed up. “We need to do
away with the issues of culture of silence and reported cases to the nearest
police station,” she noted.
She
reminded the gathering that the laws on FGM/C still exist, thus whoever is
found wanting will face the full force of the law. “The National Assembly
members have the mandate to repeal the laws but as far as the laws are not
repealed they still exist,” she remarks.
She
calls on participants to participate well and spread the message to others
communities within the region.
The
Regional Social Welfare coordinator, Haruna Badgie underscored the importance
of the daylong meeting, saying the forum would avail them the opportunities to
discuss child protection issues within the committees identified ranging from
physical abuses to other abuses.
Badgie
urged parents to take leading role towards the protection and safeguarding of
our children from all forms of violence.
He
added that rape, teenage pregnancy and child marriage all of which is happening
in our societies should become the things of past.
“At
the end of the forum, participants will have the understanding as how to
protect and promote their children from such maltreatment,” he noted.
The progamme management officer of the MCNHRP
project in CRR, Baba Njie, called on the communities to desist from the deep
rooted cultural traditional practices such as FGM/C.
The
menace, he stated, is affecting the wellbeing of our children’s. “Lots of
children’s that undergo the practices lose lot of blood,” he remarks.
He
said lots of circumcisers that do the practice don’t know where to cut, adding
that others are very old and cannot even see properly.
“The
child undergoes pains so much. Others are in fact blocked, and it is removed
when they are taken to marriage,” he said, adding that others even develop
“Fistula.”
The
state counsel’s Child Rights Unit officer at the attorney general chambers,
Ministry of Justice, Bafou Jeng dwelled on the importance of the forum,
reminding that gathering that the laws still exist.
She
added that whoever is found doing these practices can have a sentence of three
years or a fine of D50, 000 or both.
The
imam of Brusubi Essa Manneh also spoke at the meeting. He said FGM/C is not a religious
belief, saying as far as it is affecting our wellbeing should be abandoned.