The validation was organised by the Digital Transformation for Africa/Western Africa Regional Digital Transformation Project (DTfA/WARDIP) under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare.
The document, according officials was the first of its kind in The Gambia designed to protect children and vulnerable people online.
Through a World Bank-funded DTfA/WARDIP Project, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy has recruited a consultant to develop National Child and Vulnerable Groups Online Protection Policy.
The consultancy aims to ensure the protection of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups while utilising information communication technology tools, particularly the internet.
Its aims to ensure service providers and other stakeholders take up their responsibilities to ensure a secured and conducive environment for such vulnerable groups, including children to thrive while utilising such platforms.
The presentations at the validation ended with a final revised document on consolidated standard programme document for Internet Service Providers (ISP)/GSM- Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Content Developers.
Speaking at the event, Fatou Kinteh, the minister for Gender, Children and Social Welfare acknowledged that it is the first time for The Gambia to develop such a policy document for the protection of children and the vulnerable people.
“It is an era where digital communication and transformation play an important part in our lives” she said, adding “digital solutions and transformation, online safety should be an important cultivation to combat the online gender-based violence.”
For his part, Lamin Jabbi, the minister for Communications and Digital Economy, urged stakeholders to make best use of the validation programme for the best interest of the vulnerable groups and the country in general.
