Source: Daily Observer
The governor of the Central River Region (CRR), Alhaji Ganyie Touray on Wednesday launched a 19-million dalasi project, dubbed Promoting Women's Socio-Economic Rights in Jareng village, Niamina East District.

The project beneficiaries are Niamina East, Niamina West and Niamina Dankunku, targeting 122 smallholder women's farmer groups, who are actively engaged in the Agriculture sector. The European Union is funding the 75% of the three-year project, while Action Aid International the Gambia will fund the remaining 25%. The National Women Farmers Association (NaWFA) will jointly implement it with the Female Lawyers Association of The Gambia.

According to Governor Touray, the main goal of the project is to promote women's socio-economic rights in Niamina East, Niamina West and Niamina Dankunku. He underscored the importance of the project, adding that it will enhance women's abilities to realise their full potentials. He said the project also fits well into the national gender and women empowerment policy 2010-2020, which sets forth the national priorities for gender equity and women empowerment. The CRR governor, who hailed the EU and Action Aid for providing the much-needed funds to do the work, thanked Aid Action for complementing government efforts in their commitment to the advancement of women. He informed the gathering that their fourth country strategy paper (CSP IV: 2013-2017) put a lot of focus on women's rights advancement in the areas of access and ownership of land, the fight against violence against women and girls; and the promotion of sustainable and climate resilience agriculture and economic alternatives for women.

On her part, the EU Charge d'Affaires, Mme Agnes Guillaud said the project is funded from the EU's thematic programme "Non State Actors (NSAs) and Local Authorities (LAs) in development". She said EU had signed a contract with Action Aid contributing around three hundred and sixty-nine thousand pounds, which is approximately 19 million dalasi to a series of activities, to be run by Action Aid in conjunction with their local partners, the National Women's Farmers Association (NaWFA) and the Female Lawyers Association Gambia (FLAG).

The EU Charge d'Affaires noted that the three-year project is intended to target 122 smallholder farmer women's groups, all of whom are actively engaged in the agriculture sector. Each women's group, she added, is made up of around 30 women, making the direct project beneficiary population three thousand six hundred and sixty women and possible knock on impact, through transfer of knowledge and indirect involvement of up to 10, 000 people. Mme Agnes Guillaud pointed out that "in The Gambia, more than 60% of smallholder farmers are women and yet women, as in most African countries do not have secured and reliable rights to the land they farm."

According to her, apart from rural smallholder women farmers and groups, the project will also engage traditional and national leaders, media houses, civil society organisations, micro-finance institutions and relevant government ministries and departments. She said the European Union and Government partners in the National Authorising Office are highly committed to the inclusion of gender sensitive approaches in their development project.

The executive director of Action Aid International the Gambia, Omar Badjie also reiterated the position of smallholder women farmers in most African countries who do not have secured and reliable rights to own the land they farm. "Therefore, providing women with secure rights to land and reliable access to production resources will without doubt play a critical and significant role in enhancing their productivity, self-reliance and self-confidence for more effective and meaningful participation in decisions that affect their lives," he stated. According to him, women's contribution to the socio-economic development of any nation is seriously hampered, due to their limited access to the resources they need for their full engagement in the production system. Badjie disclosed that about two years ago, Action Aid conducted a study and revealed that women, particularly those in the rural areas have low literacy levels and poor access to productive resources, which has made them vulnerable to various forms of abuse and violations of their rights. The executive director of Action Aid International the Gambia, commended EU for funding the project, saying that it will contribute directly to the strategic objectives of CSP IV, which in a nutshell is about empowering women to enable them take their rightful position in society.

The president of the Female Lawyers Association Gambia (FLAG), Nenneh Cham and the project beneficiaries' Jewo Jallow delivered the vote of thanks. The Manager of Local Rights Programme, Bakary Fadera chaired the ceremony.

• Gambia