Young
People in the Media (YPM) on Friday held a two-day stakeholder forum on Female
Genital Mutilation (FGM) at NaNA conference hall at Bertil Harding Highway.
The
stakeholder forum, on the theme: ‘Accelerating our collective efforts in ending
FGM in our generation’, was funded by The Girl Generation (TGG).
The
participants, all young people, were drawn from youth-led organisations that
are in one way or the other playing active roles in the campaign against FGM.
Abdou
Jatta, executive coordinator of YPM, said the forum has come at the right time,
one year after President Yahya Jammeh banned FGM in The Gambia and the National
Assembly passed an anti-FGM bill.
He
noted that the forum was an opportunity not to be missed for it provided the
platform for the young anti-FGM advocates to add their voices, energies and
efforts and answer to the call to action on total abandonment of FGM in a
generation.
“We
can use our press, art, drama, and science clubs to come up with innovative
ways to help push total abandonment of FGM in a generation in The Gambia,” Mr
Jatta said. “Total abandonment of FGM
and GBV in The Gambia must continue to be a priority for all of us.”
He
noted that due to the cultural sensitivity surrounding FGM, discussing it in
homes and communities used to be a taboo but today, the issue has become a
household topic in The Gambia.
“This
is a big achievement which is as a result of rigorous advocacy, social
mobilisation, community engagement, training and sensitisation involving policy
makers, legislators, health workers, traditional and religious leaders amongst
others,” he said.
Mr
Jatta told the participants that as advocates, they should not be complacent in
their efforts to end FGM just because it has been banned.
“Instead,
we need to redouble efforts and use the best practices and lessons learnt from
our previous interventions to introduce more innovative approaches which will
speed up the total abandonment of FGM in The Gambia,” YPM coordinator stated.
Filly
Nyassi, senior social welfare assistant, said the government is committed to
promoting, fulfilling and protecting the rights of all children in The Gambia
including the right to protection from FGM.
“The
banning of FGM and child marriage is a clear testimony of the government’s
commitment to protecting and promoting child rights,” he said. “Our aspiration
for children in The Gambia is that every child lives in a peaceful family
setting, be educated and healthy in every aspect of their lives, physically and
mentally, in order to fulfill their potentials.”
However,
Mr Nyassi said this aspiration could only be achieved through collective
efforts with relevant stakeholders and professionals across government
departments, non-state actors and communities.
Musu
Bakoto Sawo, programme officer of TGG, said the organisation is a global
campaign that supports Africa-led movements to end FGM.
It
does so by amplifying the issues at local and international levels and brings
positive attention to positive stories of change.
Ms
Sawo said the aim of TGG is to see to it that women and girls live a healthy
and meaningful life.
