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3 Gambian women at the center of int’l petition against attacks
Sunday, 28 November 2010 19:09
By JollofNews Staff WriterA joint statement by the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) has condemned targeted attacks against three Gambians, among several female media and gender activists across the world who have been subjected to discrimination by virtue of their activism.
IFEX, a global network for free expression, issued the statement to coincide with the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, marked on 25 November.
Signed by 44 IFEX members, including members of the IFEX Gender Working Group, the statement, addressed to the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, called attention to the situation of women in the free expression community who are subjected to targeted attacks because of their gender.
In Gambia, it pointed to the situation surrounding Amie Bojang-Sissoho, a journalist and women's rights activist and her colleague Dr. Isatou Touray, a women's rights activist, who are “on trial for reporting on violence against women.” The statement also cited Ndey Tapha Sosseh, president of the Gambia Press Union, as threatened, exiled, among three other female African activists from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.
In all fifty six women in 23 countries are either indiscriminately sacked, harassed, subjected to smear campaign, detained, jailed, censored, subjected to death threats, exiled or in some worst cases murdered.
“This is particularly so in countries where freedom of speech is not upheld. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, a culture of impunity and weak judicial systems mean that the majority of crimes against women often go uninvestigated and unpunished,” the statement said.
The forty-four IFEX member signed statement urged action to put an end to all these violence against “outspoken women journalists and activists.”
The statement added: “Women who report on matters of public interest or defend human rights often put themselves at risk in order to make their voices heard. The challenges facing women extend beyond traditional media venues and into the cyber realm. This year has seen a disturbing trend towards the increased intimidation, assault and imprisonment of female bloggers and activists.”
Female journalists and rights activists, it noted, also continue to face violence elsewhere; often they are singled out both for their public opinions and their gender.
“In the Gambia, authorities arrested women's rights activist and journalist Amie Bojang-Sissoho and Dr. Isatou Touray with the Gambia Committee on Traditional Harmful Practices, an organisation that promotes women and girls’ empowerment and campaigns against female genital mutilation and other discriminatory practices. The activists were freed only after international media drew attention to their case but they remain on trial for reporting on violence against women,” the statement said.
The signatories condemn all forms of violence and repression against women who exercise their right to free expression and call attention to the cases of gender-based violence, as regard a series of demands, amon,g them that the Gambian authorities put an end to official harassment and intimidation of women’s rights activists.
They also vowed to “stand in solidarity with the many women around the world who face injustice and gender-based violence for carrying out their civic and professional duties, and address critical areas of concern and weaknesses in global women's rights, including violence and freedom of expression, as outlined in the Beijing Platform for Action.”
“It is time for governments, international institutions and civil society to take concrete measures to end the atrocities our female colleagues face in the course of their work,” the statement said.
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Comments
That is your opinion and you are entitle to it, but what I want you to know is that, if only my words of addressing our sister's dress here will keep Arafang Yahya on the throne then I think the 40 years he predict will be real, if only such of my comment is what is still keeping him on the power !
You know there are certain words close to the mouth that are not necessary to be utter such as using the word idiot !
What does a given idea have to do with idiodity here if it not people like you with the Pig head ?
Faya, I am not brought up to hate anyone among among them you yourself if only you know me well, Nov.11.1995 one of my brother a young Lt. was killed but with all that, do I have to hate Arafang Yahya when Gambian like him to be their leader.
Or would I say people like you too, kept Kairaba and his Boys in power for all those old years? Let us not acuse each other, only God knows the best.
So I don't judge her on that side, but I will still be on my position that, I Lalo prefer to see her African Dress better than then one they put here.
So if sister Ndey feel bad on my comment, then let it be but we have to mentain our cultures too !
In the service of Mother Africa I remain
THis is really ludicrous of you mein.
Sorry,but the type of photos hve no relevance here. The crux of the matter is that Ndey is an outstanding lady. You dont judge a book by its cover. I love every photo of Ndey; she epitomised what a real African woman should be and for that she really deserves a place in the annals of Gambian history.
Sending an article to sister Fatou Jaw Manneh calling it as:
That one look more african than this one
Dear Editors, Iam just giving my humble suggestion to you here that, it will be better if you can use the photo of our sister (Ndey Tapah), the one she used sending an article of to sister Fatou Jaw Manneh calling it as:
“Operation Girls Catch Arafang Yahya” that one look more africa than this one please because this one here doesn't look-like an African woman !
Hope you can do that for the sake of mother African style of dressing just like her fellows in this article.
In the service of Mother Africa I remain
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