NEWS BANJUL, THE GAMBIA(MB)-"The government of The Gambia will continue to place high priority on women's economic empowerment iatn nional development strategies so as to reduce women's burden and vulnerability and ensure equal access to productive resources, institutional support services and capacity building. "Apart from government interventions, His Excellency the president of the Republic of The Gambia Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh has taken keen interest and a bold step in ensuring the attainment of gender equality and women's empowerment.
As a result, he has been supporting girl's education, improved access to health services by way of offering scholarships to girls, provision of equipment, expansion of infrastructure and making maternal services free.
His Excellency's love for children, especially girls, is so great that all the proceeds of his farms, are re-invested in the productive and social sectors of health, education, water and sanitation among other areas. "These where the remarks of the vice president and minister of Women Affairs Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy in her goodwill message on the occasion of the International Women's Day, March 8th, 2010. The theme for this year's celebration is "Equal rights, equal opportunities: progress for all".
The full text of the speech reads:
Fellow Gambians, fellow women and girls. I take this opportunity to thank God the Almighty for the peace and good health, accorded to all of us, while praying for those who are unable to celebrate with us this year.
As a tradition, every year, on this day, I share my thoughts and reflections with you on both the global and local themes.
This year, the global theme is, "equal rights, equal opportunities: progress for all". However, in cognisance of the situation of Gambian women, the local theme for this celebration is, "economic empowerment: equal access and opportunities to productive resources and institutional support services". The objective of the celebration is to together take stock of the achievements, discuss the challenges and map a forward looking strategy. However, due to other official engagements, the official celebrations, in The Gambia, will take place in May 2010. The activities will include a solidarity march, a gala dinner and launching of the National Women's Federation.
Fellow Gambians, fellow women, and girls
The commemoration of the International Women's Day has grown from strength to strength and provides a forum for women and their development partners, all over the world to come together to further promote and advocate for the advancement of women so as to ensure their equal participation in the socio-cultural and development processes.
In this regard, let us share some of the achievements and challenges that we are faced with in The Gambia.
In general, key achievements have been registered towards women's advancement. The government of The Gambia has recognised the fact that there cannot be any meaningful development without the full and active participation of all its citizenry and this is amply demonstrated in the national policies and legislation as well as actions taken by governments such as in the ratification of key international and regional women's rights conventions and treaties, notable among them, the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the AU Protocol to the Africa Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
Fellow Gambians, fellow women and girls
Apart from Government interventions, His Excellency the president of the Republic of The Gambia has taken keen interest and a bold step in ensuring the attainment of gender equality and women's empowerment. As a result, he has been supporting girl's education, improved access to health services by way of offering scholarships to girls, provision of equipment, expansion of infrastructure and making maternal services free.
His Excellency's love for children, especially girls is so great that all the proceeds of his farms, are re-invested in the productive and social sectors of health, education, water and sanitation among other areas.
Fellow Gambians, fellow women, and girls
The theme of the year and Gambia's celebration; economic empowerment: - equal access, to productive resources, is in line with the national development strategies eg PRSP II, the MDG's and the Vision 2020, mission statement " a well-educated, trained, skilled, healthy, self-reliant and enterprising population"…and "a decent standard of living for all" which we all know, cannot be attained without giving equal opportunity and ensuring equity for women to participate fully in national development.
This theme is relevant as you all know women constitute 51%, of the total population of 1.4 million Gambians and are active in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy with limited skills and knowledge as well as resources. Women continue to be the poorest of the poor and the majority of the less privileged due to social, cultural and economic reasons. Women have limited access to finance, land, property and information, while they continue to work hard to keep up their family needs, operating mainly in the informal sector.
Less women are employed in the formal sectors and the few that are serving in decision-making positions both at the local and national levels in some cases lack adequate capacity. Therefore, the government of The Gambia will continue to place high priority, on women's economic empowerment, in national development strategies, so as to reduce women's burden and vulnerability and ensure equal access to productive resources, institutional support services and capacity building.
The key strategies adopted for poverty reduction among women, are although not limited to the development of favourable macro and micro economic policies, industrialisation or value adding provision of micro credit, labour saving devices, expansion of market outlets, livelihood skills development and career development for women employees. However, a lot more needs to be done and all sectors including the private sector and development partners are called upon to compliment the GOTG's efforts.
Fellow Gambians, fellow women and girls
In the social sectors, The Gambia has proven to be effective and responsive towards ensuring relevant and quality education for all. Several interventions such as the earlier ones mentioned e.g the president's empowerment of girls education project (PEGEP), girl's education trust fund, sponsorship for needy boys, access programme for girls at tertiary institutions and re-entry programme for girls and boys to reduce school dropouts have all been put in place by government. Gender parity is achieved at lower basic levels.
The focus is to attain this at all levels as well as relevance, quality and affordability. Women's participation in the economic sectors is improving both in the formal and informal sectors. Women are running major businesses in the trade, export and import sectors, as well as in the services and tourism sectors. Women continue to constitute the majority in subsistence agriculture and in the mostly impoverished informal sector of the economy in various fields.
Fellow Gambians, fellow women and girls
In the public sector, health service is delivered at three levels primary, secondary and tertiary. According to the Health Policy, high priority is accorded to women's reproductive health concerns. Physical access to health services continues to improve with the upgrading and building of new facilities and staffing them with trained health personnel. The PRS progress report 2008 indicates that over 85% and 97% of the population are within 3km and 5Km of a basic health facility and primary health care post respectively. Safe motherhood, reduction of maternal and child mortality and morbidity, are ensured through the provision of free maternal health care, recruitment of competent and skilled birth attendants, and an efficient referral facility, for obstetric care, in case of emergency.
Fellow Gambians, fellow women and girls
In the area of promoting of women and girl's rights, a women's bill is drafted and is at an advance stage in its enactment process. The enactment of Trafficking in Persons Act 2007, the Children's Act 2005, and establishment of a Children's Court, are all clear manifestations of government's commitment to promoting women's rights. A national plan of action has been developed as a follow up to the study on the commercial and sexual exploitation of children in 2004 to address the issues raised, and increase sensitisation campaigns regarding early marriage, sexual exploitation and related issues.
Capacity buildings, sensitisation and awareness creation workshops are conducted for teachers, law enforcement agents, nurses, social workers, religious and community leaders as well, women and children. Gambian female soldiers, police and immigration personnel have participated in a number of peacekeeping missions both in and outside the Africa region.
This is an important requirement for UNSCR Resolution 1325. The number of women at top decision making levels has increased gradually since the Second Republic. Recently, there is an increased number of women seeking elected positions in both the National Assembly and at the local government level. For the very first time, 20 women contested at the local government elections, and 15 won their seats. In the area of Women and the environment, media and the girl child, significant efforts have been made by government and its development partners.
Fellow Gambians, fellow women and girls
In conclusion, I wish to take this opportunity to thank all those who in one way or the other, supported the hosting of the 8th African Regional Conference on Women Beijing +15, which provided the forum for African countries to determine the extent to which their governments and development partners have met their promises or commitments to implement the BPFA.
This review process took stock of the implementation of both national, regional and international conventions such as the 2003 Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, ie; the AU African Women's Protocol; the 2009 Gender Policy of the African Union; the AU Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (2004); and the Africa-wide campaign to end Violence Against Women (VAW). As I speak, we are participating in the global review in New York, and pray that God continues to guide us throughout the deliberations. While wishing all a happy International Women's Day celebrations in advance, I thank you all and May Allah the Almighty bless us all men and women, young and old alike.
Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment