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Young Women-The Gambia (TYW), recently organised a two-day UNICEF funded
advocacy workshop for young artistes, as they, the artistes are the positive
agents of change to end FGM and child marriage.
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Young Women-The Gambia is a young women led non-profit organization that
captures the needs of girls.
This
year, under their project supported by UNICEF, the organization has embarked on
series of activities aimed at addressing gender-based violence, with specific
focus on FGM and child marriage.
The
activities of advocacy targets young Gambian musicians and poets for a training
on FGM and child marriage which seeks to equip them with the knowledge and
skills to advocate issues affecting young women and girls in society by using
their music to spread the word on the need to eliminate these harmful
traditional practices.
Speaking
at the opening ceremony, Mr Ngashi Ngongo, UNICEF representative, said because
of the socio-cultural and behavioral reasons, many children suffer from harmful
practices such as FGM, child marriage and gender-based violence.
He
said the practices have a long-term negative social, psychological and health
consequences that include urinary incontinence, painful sex, and serious
complications at childbirth.
Child
marriage has implications on the health and development of children, including
the high risk of mortality at the time of childbirth, he stated.
He
said that in 2015, the government of The Gambia enacted a law criminalising FGM
that included penalties up to life in prison to discourage the perpetrators of
these horrible practices.
However, the law has not been implemented and
the new government is silent on it.
“The
new UNICEF country programme for 2017-2021 includes a strong focus on child
protection to prevent and respond to violence, abuse and exploitation of
children,” he said.
“Our
outputs for support include strengthening the child protection administrative
policy, legal and financing frameworks through advocacy and technical support
in improving child protection services for all children and strengthening
families and communities to address FGM and child marriage”.
For
her part, Musu Bakoto Sawo, national coordination of TYW, thanked UNICEF for
the support and the artistes.
She
stressed that at TYW they look at the issues holistically and that religious
leaders, artistes, health experts and indeed everyone has a role to play in
ending FGM and child marriage in The Gambia.
Lamin
Darbo, executive director of National Youth Council, said he appreciates the
efforts of TYW, noting that youth are important to the society and working with
them required determination.
He
described the meeting as timely, saying the people they love inside their
hearts are the havoc of FGM and child marriage.
He added that the involvement of young people
means they want to rely on young artistes to advocate and educate the public on
the dangers of FGM and child marriage to ensure its end.
Ya
Sally Njie, a music promoter, thanked the artistes for getting involved in the
campaign.
