President Jammeh unbans Standard Newspaper and Teranga FM

 

Proprietor, Taranga Fm

After one year when Gambian security services arbitrarily shut down the Gambian community radio station, Taranga FM and The Standard Newspaper, president jammeh has announced the lifting of ban with immediate effects.

 Aired on the state broadcaster, GRTS, on New Year’s Eve, president Jammeh lifted the ban ‘for his good will gesture for the new year’ 2014.

Both Taranga FM and the Standard have were shut at a time when the Gambia is seeing increasing violations of the right to freedom of expression.
The arbitrary closure according to journalist is an undue interference in freedom of expression by the state and will deprive the Gambian public of their right to access information, especially in local languages.

Taranga FM was shutdown on the night of 14-15 August and The Standard, together with The Daily News received orders on Friday to immediately cease operations in September 2012.

Teachers Resolved to Join in the Fight against FGM

Dr. Isatou Touray

After concluding a day training on Monday, teachers has resolved to join, GAMCOTRAP, a women’s rights advocacy group to educated children on the effects of FGM.

The event brought together 25 from various schools in the West Coast Region. The project, from a health-based to a right-based approach fighting against Female Genital Mutilation seeks to introduced module on FGM and child’s rights for grade 4-9 basic and secondary education sector hopefully next year . It is funded by Save the Children International.

The modules on FGM are meant to contribute to efforts by the education sector to promote gender equality and development as part of overall policy to promote girls’ education.

Gamcotrap, have over the years been very active and effective in the promotion of women and children’s rights. Gamcotrap's agenda is to end discriminatory practices like FGM and early marriage and ha trained hundreds of teachers over the years.

 Prior to the training, majority of the teachers admitted that they are not aware that the Gambia is a signatory to the Maputo protocol, convention of the right of the child and the CEDAW.

Gamcotrap has signed a MOU with Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, (MoBSE) in 2007 and renewed it in 2009.