By Omar Bah
The Girls Agenda, TGA, a young women-led organisation championing the rights of girls and young women, has over the weekend launched a $10,000 project dubbed “amplifying youth voices against FGM & child marriage.”
The project, according to the organisation executives, is funded by AmplifyChange, a global donor organisation that addresses sexual and reproductive health rights gaps, especially in countries where these rights are not fulfilled.
Addressing a press conference at ActionAid, TGA coordinator Matida Komara, said in 2016, The Girls Agenda submitted a proposal to AmplifyChange for a one-year grant with a total budget of 10, 000 Euros (D488, 555), “The project will be implemented in the West Coast Region.
“We will implement 3 activities of production of radio/drama spots on FGM and child marriage in local languages, training of a madrassa school on child marriage and FGM and girls empowerment camp on FGM and child marriage for vulnerable adolescent girls.”
She said the partnership is the biggest opportunity to win the struggle for women’s equality, “this project will be implemented with key partners including NGOs, Youth organisations, media, government among others.”
“Together with our beneficiaries, we will initiate bolder and innovative strategies to advocate and promote alternative rites and practices that will end child marriage and female genital mutilation in their communities,” she added.
She said this will give chance to the young people to amplify their own voices to demand for change, “change that will transform lives and achieve social justice.”
Meanwhile, the partnership officer TGA Oumie Sissokho said despite the fact that there is laws banning these practices in The Gambia, “activists believe there is still a lot of work to do to end FGM and child marriage, especially in this new dispensation.”
