Violence Against Women
Source: The Daily Observer
The Youth Action Movement (YAM) Saturday celebrated All Girls Day at a ceremony held at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) grounds on the theme "There is no us without them". The event, which was organised by the Gambia Family Planning Association (GFPA) Youth Action Movement aimed at empowering young boys and men in preventing violence against women and girls.
Speaking at the event, Yusupha Sanyang, the deputy mayor of KMC, expressed gratitude for the initiative, noting that youth activities are always educating. He pointed out that women contribute to the welfare of every family and take care of children.
In his opening remarks, Momodou Njie, the representative of the GPFA, said the concept of the YAM is positioned to put in place a structure that will catalyze participation, moving the GFPA's youth participation vision from rhetoric to action. According to him, the annual event targets young girls and intends to empower them with information on adolescent and youth issues through interactive events and programmes.
Njie also noted that young women under the age of 35 year represent about 39.9% (youth profile 2010) of the population of The Gambia. He said the theme of this year 's celebration is important for everyone to reflect over, particularly young women and girls.He went further to urge young boys and men to change their attitude and prevent violations against women and girls.
For her part, Mary Small Senior, programme coordinator of YAM, lamented that violence against women and girls is pervasive across Africa, adding that in the sub-Saharan region, between 13% and 45%of women suffer assault by intimate partners during their lifetime. She asserted that recent studies from the region show that up to 47% of girls in the primary or secondary schools report sexual abuse and harassment from male teachers or classmates, and over three million of girls in Africa are in risk of FGM. She added that, it is generally observed that women are more vulnerable to violence including exploitation of various kinds which consequence may be longlasting.
In her keynote address, Aisha Keita, representative of Think Young Women, noted that the inequality that has led to the exploitation of the womenfolk has done tremendous destruction in providing a world of peace for the half of human population. This situation, she said, is worthy of changing, adding that girls have taken a commitment that they hope will bridge the gap of inequality for the present generation as well as laying the foundation for a more progressive future where men and women, boys and girls will mutually live together as partners and not subject of one another. "As women and mothers, when domestic violence come up, we should try and get each other talking," she said, and went on to urge girls and women to be wise and brainy in preventing violence against them.