Held over the weekend, the seminar served as a rallying point for students, women, and men to champion quality education, gender equality, and social inclusion for single mothers across The Gambia.
In a moving keynote address, Fatou Gai, a young lawyer and women’s rights advocate, shared her personal journey of perseverance and transformation through education.
“Education became my lifeline,” Gai said. “It gave me the courage to challenge limitations and rewrite my story, not just for myself, but for others like me. It empowered me to rise above judgement and stand for justice and equality.”
She urged that access to education for single mothers should be regarded not as charity, but as a national investment. “Single mothers are not failures,” she added. “They are fighters, capable, resilient, and full of potential.”
Sheriffo Jobarteh, a lawyer and advocate, emphasised the critical role of men in supporting women’s empowerment and ending discrimination against single mothers.
“The empowerment of single mothers is not a women’s issue alone; it is a collective human responsibility,” he said. “As fathers, brothers, and partners, we must stand beside women with empathy and respect. Empowerment means sharing power, not shifting it.”
Jobarteh called for collaborative advocacy between men and women to push for policies that expand educational and economic opportunities for mothers.
Adding a faith-based perspective, Islamic scholar Abdoullahi Saliu Ishola reminded attendees that Islam promotes compassion, justice, and shared responsibility.
“Islam is a religion of mercy,” he explained. “A single mother is not to be shamed or judged. She deserves dignity, respect, and support.”
He urged communities to replace stigma with solidarity and to view support for mothers as both a moral and spiritual obligation. Abdoullahi also called on government institutions, educators, and civil society to strengthen programmes that promote education, mental health care, and sustainable livelihoods for single mothers.
Ishola added: “Together, he emphasised, we can turn vulnerability into visibility. Let us ensure that every mother, regardless of her circumstance, has the right to shine, to learn, and to leave her mark on the world.”
The PathMothers initiative continues to inspire action, demonstrating that when education, compassion, and community unite, single mothers can thrive, and so can the nation.
