By Olimatou Coker
The Gender Platform Caravan, targeting regional women, local councils, and district authorities, to sensitise communities about women’s rights and participation in ending harmful cultural practices such as FGM and GBV, recently held sensitisations in WCR, KM, and Banjul.
As part of the organisation’s efforts geared towards promoting democracy in the country, the CSO Gender Platform, a civil society organisation and partners, embarked on a nationwide caravan to sensitise communities about women’s participation in national development and the promotion of gender matters.
Addressing one of the organisation’s sensitisations in WCR, Fanta Bojang-Samateh, the governor of the West Coast Region, said women around the world are going through a lot of harmful practices.
She said her office always receives aggrieved women who have undergone some form of gender-based violence.
Governor Samateh calls on women to listen attentively to messages sent out by the organisation to be able to have a better understanding and to disseminate accurate information in the community to help make an impact.
Binta Senghore, Youth Representative from the West Coast Region, said Gambian women are going through a lot, but in most cases, they don’t report these abuses.
“We are tired, and enough is enough. We need to end all the hardship we are going through. It is only us that can put a stop to it,” she said.
She added that the issue of FGM should not bring hate between “us in society.”.
Modou Lamin Bah, NAM for Banjul North, said the National Assembly will “not do anything that will cause problems in The Gambia.”.
Imam Foday Kabba Dumbaya of Banjul North said the issue of FGM is connected to religion, tradition, and culture.
