By Aminata S Kuyateh
The Gambia Committee against Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP) with funding from UNFPA on Thursday embarked on a media-focused training of 50 media practitioners on FGM/C and its impact on sexual and reproductive health rights.
The initiative, aimed at equipping participants from TV, radio, and print media outlets, seeks to enhance the role of the media in addressing and raising awareness of FGM/C on sexual and reproductive health rights, particularly through the engagement of children, women, and men across the country.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Isatou Touray, the Executive Director of GAMCOTRAP, emphasized the critical role the media plays in shaping public opinion. She stated: “Media is the most powerful tool we have to raise awareness and change perceptions. By equipping our journalists with the necessary tools, knowledge, and sensitivity, we can bring the conversation into households, schools, and communities, and ensure it reaches the ears of both the policymakers and the grassroots”.
Dr Touray said fighting FGM is not about herself or Imam Baba Leigh, it is about the lives of people particularly women. “Because of the gender-specific nature of the issues we are bringing and to see how best we are going to work together and bring positive change for women and girls”, Dr Touray stressed.
Imam Baba Leigh said journalism is a divine profession if it is done with the fear of Allah “FGM is not Islamic because there is no authentic hadith that can say FMG is Islamic”.
The training provided participants with in-depth insights into the cultural, health, and human rights implications of FGM/C. It highlighted how media practitioners can adopt a gender-sensitive approach to reporting on the issue. Modules included legal frameworks, the psychosocial impacts of FGM/C, and best practices for investigative journalism in covering sensitive issues like FGM/C.
