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| Dr. Isatou Touray GAMCOTRAP |
She reasoned
that they at GAMCOTRAP dedicate the day
to the President of the Republic of The Gambia for the very successful advocacy
campaigns that have taken place over the years in an enabling environment of
debates to enable communities make the right choices, “despite religious
misconceptions”.
The
international theme was “From Malabo to New York”: Support the Resolution of
the UN General Assembly Banning FGM in The World.”
Recognizing the
importance of supporting the rights of women and children, Gamcotrap with
funding from The European Union and under the Non-State Actors Strengthening
Programme in the Gambia, on Monday 6th February 2012, celebrated International
Zero Tolerance day to Female Genital Mutilation Day in the Gambia, and the
event was in a form of a march pass, cultural performance and delivering of
solidarity statements.
Civil society
organizations, women circumcisers, traditional communicators, women activists,
among others from across the country, graced the occasion and the Gambia Police
Band entertain the marchers from West Field junction to Kanifing Municipal
Council Hall on the Jimpex Road, in Kanifing where solidarity statements were delivered
in observance to the event.
Gamcotrap has
also taken the lead role in the campaign against FGM as well as the observance
of the day. Since the first Dropping of
the Knife in 2007, Communities and individuals have been calling for a law to
protect girls from FGM.
The call has
been getting louder from communities who have been exposed to the dangers of
FGM and the need for adults to take responsibility towards the protection of
children against the practice.
This further
led to two other ‘Dropping of the Knife’ celebrations by communities in 2009
and 2011, respectively.
To date, in the
Gambia, more than one hundred (100) circumcisers have dropped their knives in
more than 564 Communities from the Upper River, Central River South and Lower
River regions of the Gambia.
Dr. Touray In
her statement, said GAMCOTRAP since its formations has done a lot in the
campaign against FGM, saying that The Gambia needs to consolidate these gains
by passing a law against FGM.
“Effective
national legislation is a vital component of efforts to accelerate the
elimination of FGM in the country,” the GAMCOTRAP boss stated.
According to
her, FGM is a violation of the human rights principles, as stipulated in
Article 24.3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), among other international and regional
instruments.
The Millennium
Development Goals, Dr. Touray noted, advocate for the promotion of Gender
Equality and Employment of women, reduction of child mortality and improvement
of maternal health.
She pointed out
that without a special anti-FGM law in the Gambia it would be a daunting task
to clean the country of FGM as, according to the latest statistics, 78 percent
of the female population still practice it- just a marginal improvement of 80
percent in 1999.
Dr. Touray said
the absence of legislation contributes to the perception of FGM as “acceptable”
and it weakens the legitimacy and impact of anti-FGM advocacy.
She believes
the enactment and implementation of legislation against FGM demonstrates a
formal, explicit and lasting commitment by public authorities.
The legislation would also provide the legal
tools to legitimise, and to protect women and girls willing to challenge the
social convention of refusing to undergo FGM, she opined.
Therefore,
according to Dr. Touray, what is needed is reform of national laws or enactment
of new laws to protect women and girls from FGM which is inimical to their
health, wellbeing and the human rights.
The efforts of
the Gamcotrap over the years in raising awareness about the dangers and the
myths surrounding the practice has yielded dividend.
Currently, more
than one hundred FGM practitioners in the country have dropped their knives in
564 communities.
Mrs. Fatou
Kinteh of UNFPA said FGM is among the deep-rooted traditional or cultural
practices held by members of some communities for a very long time, noting that
it persists because it is a social convention upheld, but underlying gender
structures and power relations.
According to
her, some ethnic groups practice FGM for religious reasons, noting that some
Islamic religious leaders and scholars in the country on the other side of the
coin also promote it for religious reasons.
“What is clear
is that since some Muslims do not perform it; then it can be concluded that it
is not a religious obligation but a deep-rooted traditional belief and
practice,” she stated.
She went on to
say that the practice has serious immediate and long-term health effects and it
is a clear violation of fundamental human rights.
In a word that
has reached seven billion people on 31st October 2011, she said the health
challenges are enormous and 1000 women die daily from complications-circumcision
associated with pregnancy and childbirth.
Under the Joint
Programme for the accelerated abandonment of
FGM, she said UNFPA and UNICEF are working together in supporting
governments, NGOs, religious leaders, traditional communicators and journalists
to conduct training and create awareness among individuals, groups and
communities on the health and psychological implications of FGM as well make
clarifications on Islam and FGM.
The initiative
aims to end a practice with serious immediate and long-term health effects and
that violates the human rights of women and girls, she explained.
More than 8000
communities in West and East Africa including The Gambia and Senegal have
abandoned the practice.
This, she said,
is a clear indication that social norms and cultural practices are changing,
and that communities are uniting to protect the rights of women and girls.
According to
her, the UNFPA/UNICEF joint programme on FGM speeds through a culturally
sensitive human rights based approach that promotes collective abandonment of
the practice.
This, she went
on, includes engaging all community groups, citing traditional and religious
leaders, women, men, youths groups and girls in discussing the harms of the
practice while highlighting that it is not a religious obligation.
According to
her, the programme also supports legistation and policies against the practice.
On the
International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM, she told her audience that UNFPA is
renewing its commitments to end the practice.
In her last
words at the celebrations, she said “we therefore call on the global community
to join us in this critical effort.
“Together, we
can end FGM and help millions of girls and women to live healthier, fuller
lives and reach their full potentials.”
On behalf of
UNFPA, she thanked GAMCOTRAP for observing the day on grand style and assured
them that UNFPA would continue collaborating with them in their fight against
FGM.
Also
speaking at the occasion was the US
Ambassador, Mrs. Pamela Ann White who told the gathering that US Embassy office
in Banjul is proud to be associated with the celebrations.
While noting
that the Embassy has been supporting programmes on women and girl’s rights, the
US top Envoy in the country commended GAMCOTRAP for their giant efforts in the
fight against FGM campaign in the Gambia.
She called on
President Yahya Jammeh to append his signature on the FGM bill so as it to be a
law.
Mr. Ousman
Yarboe, Executive Director of The
Association of Non-Governmental Organisation (TANGO) also commended
GAMCOTRAP, saying it’s among the seventy NGOs in the country that
are registered with TANGO and focuses on women and girls rights in the country.
Madam Liseli
Bull, Coordinator of the Non State Actors Strenthening Programme also spoke at
occasion.
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