By Sulayman Waan
ChildFund country director, Musu Kuta Komma, has told a virtual summit that girls have the potential to change the World if they are effectively supported during their adolescent years.
She made the remarks during commemoration of international day of the girl child with selected enrolled ChildFund Children with the selected topic “the impact of Covid-19 on girls”.
The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
Rohey Bittaye-Darboe, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare said her office launched a 1313 hot line during the pandemic for people to report cases of SGBV but was quick to add that Gambians do not have the culture of reporting which is a challenge.
She expressed her ministry’s readiness to ensure children are protected and empowered.
Lamin Fatty, Coordinator Child Protection Alliance said there are laws that could have prevented abuse on girls and women from happening in the country but not noted that these laws are usually not enforced. He highlighted that having laws alone is not enough.
According to him, the covid-19 has created so much negative impact but has also created some positive opportunities that we can work on to address issues of children particularly the girl child.
“Criminal offences like rape should not be negotiated”, he remarked, saying there has been a lot of discrimination against the girl child in The Gambia.
He noted that government must invest heavily around child in The Gambia, observing that the number of girls begging and selling on the streets is alarming.
Essa Sowe, Deputy General Secretary The Gambia Teachers Union said schools have been providing safe spaces for girls, noting that girls were more vulnerable in the wake of covid-19 and were subjected to higher risk, abuse and exploitation.
Mr Sowe said the ministry needs to step up because one thing that lack in our school system particular with the basic and secondary education is guidance and counseling.
Deputy GS Sowe said the recently concluded GABECE exams showed that over 900 students were absent or had their grades cancelled which 55 percent were girls, noting that this shows the need for us to work on modalities to address issues concerning girls in the country.
“Learning lose during the covid-19 pandemic cannot be recovered until 2030”, he stated, saying covid-19 limited the participation of girls in the recently concluded distance learning due to domestic engagements.
Mariama Jallow, a 17 years old student of Nusrat senior secondary school in presenting on education- focusing on school dropout and quality education said the importance of educating a girl child cannot be over emphasized.
Mariama a member of Sama Kairo Federation added that educated girls are more likely to become in the workforce and in turn bring economic stability to their families and communities, however she said girls face a lot of challenges in their educational process.
Fatou Camara, 21 years old and currently attending Gambia College in presenting on Sexual and Gender Based Violence during covid-19 said according to survey conducted in the country 75 percent of girls between the ages of 15 to 19 have undergone FGM/C.