Dr
Aja Isatou Njie-Saidy, Vice
President and secretary of state for
Women's Affairs has said that the
attainment of the goal of gender
equality and women's empowerment not
only in the Gambia but also in the
world at large cannot be achieved
without the availability of timely
and adequate financil human
resources and other resources.
According to her, since 1980,
when the national machinery for the
advancement of women and girls in
The Gambia was created, adequate
financing has been a challenge due
to limited resources although,
government supported by a
development partner has endeavoured
to ensure the availability of
resources, in many and varied ways,
but the desired levels are yet to be
achieved.
VP Njie Saidy made this remarks
last Friday in her office while
delivery her goodwill meesage on the
accasion of the International
Women's Day, March 8th, 2007 on the
theme "financing for gender equality
and the empowerment of women".
Below we reproduce the full text
of VP Njie-Saidy's address;
Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women
You will recall that, every year, on
the 8th of March, International
Women's Day is celebrated throughout
the world with the objective of
highlighting that achievements and
challenges in the promotion of
gender equality and the empowerment
of women and girls at the nationa
and global levels.
This global event has grown from
stength to strength and has become
an event which brings women and all
other stakholders together to
promote and advocate for more
cohesive and coordinated
interventions towards effectively
addressing the critical needs of
women in the social, political and
economic processes. Each year a
relevant theme is identified
globally that is deemed most
appropriate. This year's theme is:
"financing for gender equality and
the empowerment of women".
Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women
In the Gambia, we cannot
overemphasize the relevance ans
timeless of this year's theme on
Gender equality financing which
focus is given by the UN and its
other development partners,
particularly, during the 52nd
session of the commission on the
Status of Women in New York from the
25th of february to the 7th of March
2008.
Currently being attended by
representative of the DOSWA &
Women's Bureau. The attainment of
the goal of gender equality and
women's empowerment, not only in the
Gambia but also in the world at
large, cannot be achieved without
the availability of timely and
adequate financial human material
and other resources.
Since 1980, when the national
machinery for the advancement of
women and girls, in The Gambia was
created, adequate financing has been
a challenge due to limited
resourcesalthough, Government
supported by A development partner
has endeavoured to ensure the
availability of resources, in many
and varied ways, but the desired
levels are yet to be achieved. In
the early 90s a project was
initiated by goverment in
collaboration with the World Bank a
six year multi- sectoral and multi-
donor funded Women in Development
Project, which aimed at imroving the
status of women through the
provision of resources to sectoral
agencies and NGOs in the areas of
health, agriculture, credit,
community skills improvement, IEC,
researc, M & E and training.
The project employed the concept of
women in development although the
strategy was proven to be only
partly effective and helped
strengthen women related sectors.
Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women
In light of the above, the concept,
Gender and Development ( GAD) was
adopted in 1995, which empoyed the
strategy of mainstreaming gender
perspectives in national programmes
and policies at all levels by all
actors.
The strategy was endorsed in the
Platform for action during the
Beijing, China, fourth World
Conference on Women in 1995 for the
promotion of gender equality which
it emphasized as central to
addressing all critical areas of
concern to men and women. In the
same document governments were
called upon, together with other
stakeholders to promote effectie
policies of mainstreamning gender
perspectives in programmes and
policies at national and
international levels, complemented
by targeted interventions to ensure
its full and effective
implementation.
Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women
The achievements on the above
mentioned areas, include the women
in development project and other
projects or interventions such as
the formulation and ratification of
Gambia's first Policy for the
Advancement of Women and Girls,
Mainstreaming of gender and Poverty
Project funded by DFID, the drafting
of Women's Bill, creation of gender
unit at the Department of State for
basic and Secondary Educationa s
well as institutionalization of
Gender focal Points at other
sectoral levels, economic
empowerment foucsed projects under
the Department of State for
Agriculture, Fisheries and natural
Resource, Trade and Employment,
Youth and Sports, the Gambia chamber
of commerce and Industry, Commercial
Banks, Public Institutions, NGO's UN
Agencies, other development partners
and Civil Society Organisations.
