#National News

GAMCOTRAP validates 2021/25 strategic plan

Sep 15, 2021, 4:29 PM | Article By: Pa Modou Cham

The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP) recently validated its 2021-2025 strategic plan designed to put in place a strategic focus on programming, human resources, finances, development and support in addressing harmful practices.

The strategic plan also seeks to provide a framework for their approaches to programming, human resources, financing, operations, and communications, taking into account challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic.

 At the validation, Princess Munahot, executive Director of GAMCOTRAP, explained that a review of their 2013/2015 and 2016/2020 strategic plan confirmed that a lot has been achieved through their initiatives and programs delivered through a number of community activities, media advocacy, institutional strengthening, advocacy for a law to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other harmful practices.

“It is worthy to note that these activities contributed to the enactment of two laws in 2013 which are the Domestic Violence Act and the Sexual Violence Act. One of the greatest achievements in 2015 was the enactment of the Women’s Amendment Act, which criminalised and prohibits FGM.”

The implication of the 2016-2020 strategic plan, she added, was not as smooth as it could have been, pointing out that due to some organisational setbacks amid Covid-19 pandemic, the organization still faced some milestones in its tireless pursuit to improve the lives of children and women in the country.

“We will continue to respond to the needs of our critical target; the girl child, young boys and women as we look to expand our current strategic focus to accommodate migration, climate change and agriculture in line with the SDGs.”

She thanked United Nations Population Fund and Donor Direction Action for their timely and unflinching support.

Mariama Fanneh, director of Population Affairs, Population Secretariat at the Office of the Vice President, revealed that women and girls form the chunk of the country’s population when it comes to their livelihood.

“The strategic plan is very important because it helps one access directions and focus. It will also help us to take the necessary steps to achieve your plans in the next five years.”

Papa Samba Ndiaye of Save the Children in Senegal, expressed his institution’s resolve to support GAMCOTRAP, while acknowledging that there cannot be any improvement without a strategic plan.

“We will help in following and implementing the strategic plan. We will continue to support technical and financial if necessary.”