By Yunus S Saliu
Network Against Gender Based Violence (NGBV) in conjunction with ActionAid International – The Gambia and Amplify Change has joined the rest of the world to commemorate the International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrated March 8 every year.
International Women’s Day is a day set aside for the celebration of social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day is also used to marks the call to action for accelerate gender parity and women’s right. This day has been observed since 1900s.
Speaking at the organized press briefing held at the ActionAid International office on Friday, Halimatou Jallow Jesuorobo, Project Manager NGBV gave a detail background and purpose of the International Women’s Day celebration across the world.
She noted that the day is often marks with different activities which among are matching and other demonstrations. “The purpose of the International Women’s Day is to bring attention to the social, political, economic and cultural issues that women face and to advocate for the advancement of women within all those areas,” she disclosed.
As the organizer of the celebration states, she said through purposeful collaboration they can help women advance unleash the weakness potential to economy in the world over.
Dilating on this year theme – An equal world is an enable world she said ActionAid International with its partner “is joining feminist organizations and allied from around the world in a women’s global strike.” She added that the root of International Women’s Day in women solidarity strike action throughout history is showing the world that when women stuck the world stuck.
Ramou Sonko, Women’s Right Specialist ActionAid International – The Gambia discussed the importance of the women solidarity strike. She said the promises made by the government to advance equality development and peace for women twenty-five years ago were not kept while women and girls continue suffering discrimination and violence in every part of the world.
She noted that the strike is centered on four common areas which are decent works and living wages for all, ending gender based violence, access to resources power and opportunities for all.
Among other activities marking the day across The Gambia, the ActionAid International organized a hour solidarity at work whereby all ActionAid staff, Monday will participate in a program where presentations and discussion centered on decent labour work, violence and harassing in the work place, how it affect people physical, psychologically among other things.
Representative of Beakanyang, Ebrima Njie disclosed that the IWD is meant to reflect and talk about the challenges facing the women worldwide, especially, Gambia women. He added that the day is also to close the gender equality gaps.
Isatou Sanyang, Women’s Development Officer GADHOH outlined various challenges facing women especially women with hard of hearing.
Among the challenges include employment, promotion at work, trampling on women’s rights both at home, work place, in society, in family even in marriage and so on.
