The
Girl’s Agenda (TGA) supported by UNICEF on Friday started its annual girls
empowerment camp in Bwiam, West Coast Region.
Oumie
Sisoho of TGA said the five-day camp would enhance the awareness of girls on
issues affecting them.
UNICEF
representative to Gambia, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, said the initiative was “a
significant step” towards ensuring a world where the rights of children are
fulfilled and respected.
“It
is even more significant today as The Gambia sets off on a new journey,” she
said, adding that the camp would provide an opportunity to dialogue and come up
with solutions to the challenges that children are faced with.
Children
in The Gambia are still subjected to harmful traditional practices that hinder
their growth and development, and hamper them from reaching their fullest
potential and contributing to national development.
“We
must endeavour to make sure that every child in The Gambia enjoys their right
to education,” the UNICEF rep stated.
Madam
Nyanti said 75 per cent of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years in The Gambia
have undergone FGM, and about 79 per cent of these people live in the rural
areas.
She
also noted that 7 per cent of girls and women were married before the age of
15, and more than 36 per cent before the age of 18.
“These
figures are alarming and required our attention,” she said, while further
noting that the five-day camp provided a platform to build awareness on the
dangers of the practices.
Abbie
Barrow, board chairperson of TGA, said the organisation is committed to
improving the lives of young girls.
