By Mustapha Jarju
Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, Fatou Kinteh, has called for a multi-sectoral approach involving actors with various expertises that will collaborate to safeguard children in the Gambia.
Speaking at the opening of the second ordinary session of the children’s assembly held at the National Assembly on Saturday, Minister Kinteh said, Child protection is “complex” but fundamental, including the child’s rights to health and education enshrined in the children act of 2005.
“The child protectors are now revising to include emerging issues. This act protects and promotes the rights of all children in the Gambia there is also the youth act of 1999 that promotes the rights of an adolescent between the age of 13 and 35 years.
“The educational policy also has provisions that grant children the participation in extracurricular activities which is a blueprint of the Government’s commitments to the protection and promotion of the rights of the children and adolescents living in the Gambia,” Minister Kinteh stated.
Honorable Kinteh expressed her ministry’s commitment to ensuring that the rights of the children are protected as enshrined in the constitution and advised the children’s assembly to always protect what are their rights and do what is right.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon BakaryBadjie also advised the assembly members to take the activities and proceedings seriously, since it will prepare them as future leaders that must be dutiful and ensure what is expected.
Lamin Jawo, the newly elected Speaker of the Children’s Assembly assured the children of the Gambia that they will do “everything” possible for every child to have their rights protected. “We cannot make laws but we can sit with lawmakers, policymakers and make sure that they know the problems of the children, and be rest assured that we are going to do that,” Speaker Jawo promised.