The project, which seeks to address the pressing issues confronting adolescent girls, is also aimed at enhancing gender equality and ensuring the safety of children within and outside the education sector.
The review session was held at the Directorate conference hall in Kanifing.
The review session also witnessed presentations on life skills, livelihood skills, gender dynamics, and general discussions, which set the tone for the development of comprehensive guidelines to addressing critical issues pertaining to the protection of young boys and girls.
Isatou Jallow, gender Focal Point at the Ministry, underscored the importance of gender equality to the government's agenda.
She emphasised the need to implement strategies to advance girls' education, further highlighting the persistent challenges that continue to affect adolescent girls in The Gambia.
Jallow thus made reference to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Child Marriage.
“Despite significant strides in reducing maternal mortality rates, the enforcement of existing laws remains a hurdle, leading to disparities in educational access and outcomes.” she added.
Representing the World Bank, Alieu Bah emphasised that the project's focus on bolstering access to essential services in health and education, with a particular emphasis on retaining girls in school.
He cited school dropout rates, which he said, often stem from factors like forced marriage and teenage pregnancy.
He thus urged participants to devise policies geared towards empowering women to assume leadership roles, thereby fostering gender equality.
Tida Jatta Jarju, Director of In-service Training and Life Long Learning DITaLL, said that the importance of revising the code of conduct to safeguard children within educational environment is to ensure the protection of children within educational settings.
Omar Mbakeh, Operations Manager for the SWEED Project, expressed appreciation with the review process, applauding its alignment with the project's goals of supporting girls' education and combatting Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.
Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, Jerreh Sanyang acknowledged the collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Education and stakeholders, affirming the need to prioritise children's safety in both school and community settings.
