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Gambian advocacy group issues report on anti-FGM legislation
Tuesday, 10 August 2010 12:31
The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCITRAP),
on Monday issued a report on a wide ranging consultation it conducted with participants from different regions in their ongoing advocacy for a law against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).The report entitled "Engagement of local government authorities on advocacy for a law on FGM as awareness creation continues," was signed by Dr. Isatou Touray, the Executive Director of GAMCOTRAP.
According to the report, they had concluded a consultation with local government authorities, including national women councillors from different parts of the country, and a sensitisation workshop with circumcisers, traditional birth attendants and women leaders from 4-6 August at Soma, half way up the country in the Lower River Region.
The consultation brought together governors of the Upper and North Bank regions, the Director of Good Governance at the Ministry of Local Government , the chairpersons of area councils, executive officers, district chiefs and national women councillors in the Lower River Region, regional officers from the ministries of Health and Education as well as security personnel from the Lower River Region.
Speaking on the occasion, the Governor of Lower River Region, Lamin Waa Juwara said he was impressed with the progress made in what he described as winning hearts and minds of people to stop FGM. Juwara noted that even in “conservative” regions such as Lower River, the battle is being won against the practice. He noted that the wind of exchange is a demonstration of how Gambians respond to progressive ideas in development and that religious arguments cannot be used to promote a harmful practice.
Governor Juwara looked forward to the Gambia becoming the 20th African country to ban FGM and he appreciated the efforts being made by GAMCOTRAP to raise the awareness of the people before a law is enacted.
He further noted that targeting the local government authorities was an important part of the decentralizations process of power and decision making and called on his colleagues not to mince their words but to allow the people to hear that FGM is a harmful practice.
He commended the GAMCOTRAP team for their hard work and asserted that “they will go down in history for saving lives”. He advised the local government authorities to share what they have learnt.
The Chairperson of the board of directors of GAMCOTRAP, Sidia Jatta informed the local government authorities that the intention of the consultation was for people to be aware of the content of the proposed law to ban FGM. He also joined his colleagues to share information on the outcome of the United Nations ban on FGM campaign conference held in Senegal in May 2010 where it was unanimously accepted that FGM is a violation of human rights of girls and women.
The programme officer at the UNFPA, Alhagie Kolley said FGM is pivotal to mental health and reiterated that UNFPA was supporting the government and civil society organizations in the campaign to eliminate FGM in The Gambia.
The consultation process included sensitization of participants on sexual and reproductive health rights and the effects of FGM.
Imam Baba Leigh of the Kanifing East Mosque and Imam Abubacarr Kanteh of Soma enlightened the participants on FGM and Islam ; and reiterated that the practice was not an Islamic obligation.
Source: APA
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