Gender Ministry, UN team brief journalists on GMIS

The GMIS, a digital platform, seeks to build strong evidence based on Gender-Based Violence in The Gambia by coordinating delivering quality service thus strengthening referrals in a timely manner. Moreover, it also allows for side data collection and analysis for Informed GBV policy-making and programming.

Addressing the gathering, Ndey Rose Sarr, the Country Rep of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), disclosed that the Gender Management Information System (GMIS), which was launched in January 2023, helps to document a strong database, manages, analyses and shares GBV data in The Gambia. 

She said the GMIS Centre, which is the first-ever in the country, also ensures safe, confidential and convenient reporting and  management of all cases of Gender-Based Violence in the county, while also providing psychosocial treatment for survivors.

The UNFPA Country Rep added that the Centre is open 24 hours to receive all cases ranging from rape to children marriage, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other physical assault cases. 

Since it started operations, she said, the centre had recorded 310 survivors cases across the 8 operational One Stop Centres in various regions. 

She indicated that 100% of GBV survivors had already received medical care and were being appropriately referred for further medical care. 

"99.6% of these survivors who reported to One Stop Centres also received psychosocial support,” she said. “Unfortunately 98% of survivors are female." 

She also expressed concern about people reporting cases of GBV, only to be withdrawn. This, she added, is not helping in combating issues relating to gender-based violence in the country.

Also speaking, Fallu Sowe of the Network Against Gender-Based Violence (NGBV) expressed delight to be associated with the event. 

"The NGBV, UNFPA and the Ministry have seen the importance of ensuring that there is a Gender Management Information System (GMIS) centre in the country, Sowe said, adding: “This will ensure that our laws and policies and programsmes are taken to address Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the country." 

Sowe also spoke about the numerous interventions his network had been playing in ensuring that survivors received the needed care. 

The Centre, he added, would significantly support the country’s ongoing efforts in addressing the victims of Gender-based Violence.

The presser also witnessed a presentation by Ramoj Sonko, a programme analyst on gender and gender-based violence at UNFPA.

For her part, Fatou Kinteh, Minister of Children and Social Welfare, underscored the importance of having a centre that would help facilitate the delivery of quality services in line with global standards.

She says GBV is a social challenging problem that requires all hands on deck to combat it.

Fatou Kinteh, who was speaking on Tuesday at a United Nations joint presser on Gender Management Information System (GMIS) at a ceremony held at GMIS Centre in Bakoteh, said: “The country is also on course to establishing a foresenic lab as most of the GBV cases are either referred to Senegal or Ghana for examination.”

The minister revealed that GMIS Centre, which started operations in January 2013, is designed to facilitate the delivery of quality services in line with the global  standards GBV guiding principles. 

"It also seeks to strengthen referrals in a timely and most appropriate manner," she added.

She thus thanked the UN System and other stakeholders for their continued support.