International Women Day Special Report

Gambia Law School Students hail Gambian women in the Legal Profession on IWD

By Juliana Obeng Twumwaa

Some sections of the students at the Gambia Law School, Banjul, have hailed the number of women in the legal profession, and especially female justices who divorce their time to administer justice in the country.

On the International Women’s Day, The Voice newspaper engaged some of the students to share their opinion.

Gean-Victoria Owusu

Student, Gambia Law student. Ghanaian.

I believe women need to control our emotions including myself and looking at how men are able to put their differences aside and move on especially when we find ourselves in the same environment or organization, personal vendetta’s and grudges won’t take us anywhere.  We need to unite to enable us grow.  This is a big issue that needs to be addressed.

Ohemaa Osei Tutu

Student, Gambia Law School, Ghanaian.

There are two sides to it, there’s the positive and negative. We have seen women do remarkably well to attain higher height that were initially privy to men only. This has encouraged other women and younger girls to believe and have hope that is it possible. Women are taking over the world!

On the negative side, there is a cancer among women that destroys us more than what we believe the patriarchal system of the world is doing. When we say women empowerment, it should come from within the gender… it should not only be about women being given the opportunity to have access to places where women have been discouraged not to. Rather, as women, we should be able to grow to a point to where we become emotionally intelligent. In that way we do not become insecure when another woman is rising, we don’t get bitter and jealous at another woman’s success but rather celebrate with them knowing that our paths are different and dynamic. 

Dr. Christopher Baasongti Beyere

Student, Gambia law school, Ghanaian.

On this day,I wish all women a wonderful  IWD, and we love and appreciate them.

My advice is that they should aspire to become learned and influential in all fields of life. Looking at him the likes of the former Chief Justice of Ghana, Sophia Akuffo and the number female Justices of the superior courts of the Gambia, including the Director General of the Gambia Law School, it’s very evident that the sky is definitely the limit for women.

Fatoumata Jabbi

Student, Gambia Law School, Gambian

I did intern at a legal organization and in my experience there, I realized that because women are not aware of their rights and privileges, they do not know when their rights are being trampled upon so I think more awareness should be made by the institutions taxed with that responsibility to educate women on these issues. And women should also know that their opinions are not invalid and that they speak up when necessary, deep down women are naturally blessed with enormous strength than they are aware of.

We should also not forget the women in the rural areas doing menial jobs to support their families because they are the bedrock of our society and they also deserve to be appreciated and supported. And in our homes, let us teach our little girls to speak up and believe in their voices because an empowered little girl will grow up to become an empowered woman.

Manga Marie-Claire

Student, Gambia Law School, Cameroonian 

I feel today is a day to appreciate women looking at the history of women’s rights and how far it’s comes till date, it’s very necessary that’s we celebrate our women and the various fights for freedom in certain aspects of life and it’s commendable that in this day, in the legal profession, we have a lot of women excelling and that’s very commendable, though, more can be done especially where women have been marginalized. 

So generally, on IWD I think it’s worth celebrating because I happen to be taught by distinguished justices of the superior Courts and our Director General of the law school and also my female colleagues.

I wish all of us a happy International Women’s day.

Mbanya Thalia

Student, Gambia law School, Cameroonian.

On this International women’s day, I hail women all around the world taking up spaces in different sectors for their innovative ideas and resilience. I would also like to implore the international community to support and empower women as they’re the backbone of every family.

Ebou Faal

Student, Gambia Law School, Gambian

Women and children as we all know are the most vulnerable in society and as such deserve the utmost protection they deserve. I would implore the relevant authorities to ensure they put in the required mechanism in place to safeguard women who are the mothers of society. I look forward to a day when all women will be given the fair treatment, equal opportunity and recognition they deserve and on a day as special as today marking the celebration of IWD, I would like to wish all women across the world a happy IWD and continue to encourage them to continue the good work they do. We appreciate and love you

Mary Burang John

Student, Gambia Law School, Gambian

Women need counseling and I believe that at a young age, they should be educated about life choices to enable them make well informed choices in the future.

We have a lot of girls who don’t know the essence of education  so I think we need to introduce counseling sessions for students in our schools.

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Nfarama Suso

Student, Gambia Law School, Gambian.

Women deserve support in any kind because they are the creame-dela-creame of our society. The world today as it is will not be where is it if today if women are left behind. They are out mothers, they our wives, they our friends, they are our partners, they are loved.

Happy International women’s day.