Saturday
8 March is recognised as the
International Women's Day celebrated all
over the world. In The Gambia, the women
organisation called Gambia Committee on
Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP)
commemorated the day with the official
launching of their website at Paradise
Suites Hotel in Kololi. The theme for
this year's celebration is "The struggle
for Gender Equality Continues.
Delivering her remarks at the launch
ceremony, Dr. Isatou Touray, Executive
Director of GAMCOTRAP, said that this
day is set aside to reflect on the
concerns and strategic interests of
women all over the world. She further
noted that this day is a day when women
around the globe celebrate their
successes, while renewing their
determination to defeat the challenges
they still face with the support of each
other. She also reflected on the
promises made by the governments and
donor agencies to ensure that women are
put at the centre of development.
She said the celebration coincides with
the launching of their website, www.
Gamcotrap.gm, in which they accumulated
a lot of data and information about the
status of women and children in The
Gambia, so as to share with its
partners, donors and the general public
through the use of modern technology.
She said that achievements have been
made by women and in which Gamcotrap has
contributed; that these include the
ratification of the Convention on the
Elimination of Discrimination Against
Women, without reservations, the African
Protocol on Human Rights on the Rights
of Women, the Convention on the Rights
of the Child, the land mark success by
the public declaration of 13
circumcisers and 63 communities to stop
Female Genital Mutilation and the
launching of their website.
Dr. Touray further said that as the
feminist movement is progressing all
over the world there are dynamics
unfolding in the journey towards
achieving gender equality. "Here I would
like to highlight some of the factors
that impede the realization of this
journey concerning over 50% of the
world's population", she said. She
highlighted the concept of Gender
Equality, which she said seems to raise
a lot of intellectual and political
debates, particularly among the
epistemologists, as well as men, women
and highly placed decision makers who,
she said, tend to politicize the issue
and thereby miss its essence. Dr. Touray
concluded that the struggle for women
continues as they rekindle their
commitment and determination and spell
out the visions they have for women's
empowerment.
Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, of COMIT,
said today all women around the world
are celebrating this important day to
aspire for their rights and potentials
in the society. He said that Gamcotrap's
launching of its own website would help
their partners to access the information
of the organization's structure and that
the website is invaluable; that
Gamcotrap is playing its role to reverse
some of the problems that women face.
Saikou Omar Dibba, a Board Member of
Gamcotrap, said that this event is
important in the business to advance the
cause of women in this country. He gave
a brief history of Gamcotrap and said
they have embarked on the issue of
harmful practices on women and girls. He
observed that international women's day
is a very significant day throughout the
world.
FOROYAA
Newspaper (Serrekunda)
10 March 2008
Annia Gaye
