Addressing the gathering at the event held in Pretoria, South Africa, Hon. FJC, who represented the Gambia Government and President Adama Barrow, stated that investing in women’s economic empowerment and gender equality yields enormous dividends for peace and prosperity.
She said countries where women are economically marginalised and shut out of the workforce are much more likely to experience sexual and gender based violence.
There is anecdotal evidence that women’s active participation in leadership roles in politics and society can help resolve domestic violence and promote stability in the homes and society at large, the Gambian Ambassador stated.
“In the Gambia, efforts for the promotion of positive masculinity have been promulgated in national laws, policy and programs through advocacy and awareness creation,” she said. “This has contributed significantly to promoting male engagement in Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and Information in The Gambia. The HE4SHE Campaign also provided the enabling environment for the promotion of positive masculinity in Leadership to end violence against women and girls.”
She told the gathering that The Gambia continues to be committed to the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of Children through the enactment of the Children’s Act 2005, amended in 2016 to prohibit child marriage, the Women’s Act, 2010, amended in 2015 to criminalise the practice of Female Circumcision(FC), the Sexual Offences Act 2013, the Domestic Violence Act 2013, the National Policy for the Advancement of Women and Girls 1999-2009; the Gender and Women Employment Policy 2010-2020, the Gender Policy 2023-2032, the National FGM/C Strategy 2021-2025, the FGM/C Policy 2023-2032, the Women Enterprise Fund Act, the Disability Act 2021, and the Social Protection Act 2023.
FJC further reiterated that the Government of President Adama Barrow is committed to promoting economic growth, reducing poverty and vulnerability, and improving the well-being and welfare of its population through the development and implementation of a series of policies and programmes that span the social and economic and environmental aspects of sustainable development.
“Since independence, the country has formulated and implemented a number of socio-economic development policy frameworks to address the nation’s developmental challenges and drive its development agenda, and has recorded remarkable progress in the area of governance,” she pointed out, saying: “A new draft constitution has been completed which espouses respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms, and the rule of law.
“It also advocates for gender balance and fair representation of women, youth and persons with disabilities in parliament and other statutory bodies as well as in State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).”
