Gambia: GAMCOTRAP Supports CRR Communities With Surveillance System to Fight FGM

7 December 2022
The Point (Banjul)
By Ousman Jallow

The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP) has established surveillance system in communities in Central River Region (CRR) designed to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Gender Based Violence (GBV) and other forms of traditional practises affecting the wellbeing of women and children, particularly the girl child in the region.

The move comes as GAMCOTRAP in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Ministry of Women and Children Affairs with funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) recently held a meeting at Kaur Janneh Kunda in CRR North.

At the forum, Musa Jallow, team leader in deputising for GAMCOTRAP executive director, reminded that the surveillance systems would serve as monitoring mechanisms regarding gains made throughout their advocacy in the region.

He therefore called on all to abide by laws governing FGM, GBV and child marriage in the country, further challenging stakeholders to increase their advocacy by reaching out to the hard to reach areas, especially border communities.

Jallow equally urged participants to utilise the knowledge gained by living up to expectations so as to help achieve their objective of totally eradicating FGM, GBV and other forms of traditional practises affecting the wellbeing of women and children in the country.

Nana Stevens, a GAMCOTRAP team member, said FGM is not a religious obligation. Rather it violates the right of the child and also affect the health of women and children.

She therefore called on all especially those who practice it to immediately desist from it and serve as role models in the eradication of those traditional practises affecting women and children.

Participants at the forum commended the organisers and other stakeholders for the knowledge gained, further assuring that they would share the knowledge with colleagues in their respective communities.

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