Gambian parliamentarians attend regional conference on FGM

The Executive Director of GAMCOTRAP, Dr. Isatou Touray and a delegation of four Gambian parliamentarians left Banjul over the weekend for the Senegalese capital of Dakar to participate in a two-day Regional Conference on "Harmonization of legal instruments against FGM: consolidating achievements, sharing successes, pursuing advances! Towards a United Nations ban on FGM."

The programme, which is currently underway at the National Assembly of Senegal, aims to present and share the actions and strategies undertaken since the adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women (Maputo Protocol) as an example of African countries' commitment to consolidate the achievements, share the successes and pursue the advances in legislative measures taken in a number of African countries.

The Gambian delegation comprised Honorable Sidia Jatta, Honourable Adama Cham, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Honourable Sekouna Sanneh and Honourable Ousman Bah, both members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on health, women and children, respectively.

The delegation will have the opportunity to share experiences among the participating parliamentarians, civil society leaders and government representatives, and to forge a path towards a UN General Assembly Resolution banning FGM, and consider the elements for inclusion in such a resolution.

Delegates are also expected to consolidate a common path and to ensure that African achievements are reflected in the drafting of a United Nations General Assembly Resolution to ban EGM worldwide, by giving focus on regional and sub-regional levels of cooperation.

The Executive Director of GAMCOTRAP, Dr. lsatou Touray, will present a paper on "Law Reform Processes on Women's Rights."

It could be recalled that FGM affects the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls and it is a violation of their human rights.

The Inter-parliamentary Conference is organised by the Senegalese Ministry of Family, Food Security, Women's Entrepreneurship, Microfinance and Children, and an International NGO, No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ), in partnership with the Senegalese NGO La Palabre.