The
Gold Award Holders Association (GAHA) conducted training for 40 Islamic school
students drawn from West Coast Region and the Greater Banjul Area on Female
Genital Mutilation (GFM) on Tuesday.
The
daylong training, held at the PIA hall in Bakau, was supported by the Girl
Generation through the End FGM grants program.
The
theme for the training was “Engaging Islamic school students in the campaign to
end FGM.”
In
his keynote address, Lamin Darboe, Executive Director of National Youth
Council, commended GAHA for engaging those who are often out of the mainstream
of FGM.
“Religion
plays critical role in shaping people’s perception around FGM even though the
practice is considered a tradition”, he added.
He
stated that participants were not only targeted for the training as students
but because they are the reference points for many people in their communities.
He
added that when parents have concerns regarding issues of religion, often the
first point of call are the religious leaders and as such it was important to
engage them in education on the practice.
He
also urged them to accept new knowledge on the effects of the practice to
ensure girls and women are protected as well as the society.
He
expressed his office’s readiness to continue working with all relevant
stakeholders in ensuring they reach every young person for them to be able to
make informed choices.
Baboucarr
Kebbeh, National chairperson GAHA, said WHO estimated that many girls undergo
some form of FGM in Africa daily, adding that The Gambia was one of the
countries with a high prevalence of FGM.
Mr
Kebbeh added that it is important for the informal sector to be engaged in the
campaign as the intervention on FGM in The Gambia has traditionally been from
the formal sector and other youth organisations.
The
training, he went on, aimed to bring together Islamic school teachers and
students to widen their understanding, dispel misconceptions on Islamic views
and ideologies around FGM.
In
his welcoming remarks, Sainey Drammeh, PIA Executive Director, said FGM is
detrimental to the health of the girl child and women in general.
Omar
Ceesay, a representative of the secretary general of AMANA, thanked the
organisers and also advised participants to discuss on the issue and share
their opinion on the practice.
