Dr. Touray Tour of US Colleges and Universities

 

Dr. Touray

It is with appreciation that Gambian academics, an expert in gender and leading activist in the fight to end FGM and other forms of violence against women, Dr. Isatou Touray has been invited on a tour in the United States giving lectures to hundreds of students at Juniata College and Washington and Jefferson College. The invitation which was made by Professor Buba Misawa and Professor Emil Nagengast was honoured by Dr Touray.  The tour gave her the opportunity to share the work of her organization in the campaign to end FGM.  The partnership has been going and it gives students from the United States and other parts of the world to visit GAMCOTRAP and learn more about cultural practices in the context of sexuality and reproductive health and rights.

Meanwhile Dr. Touray participated at the V-Day Coordinators strategic planning meeting in Italy in preparation for the 2015 global One Billion Rising against Gender Based Violence. The outcome of the meeting is focussing on a ‘Revolution’ all over the world.

IAC Re-born in Style

The Inter Africa Committee on Traditional practice – IAC held its 8^th General Assembly in Burkina Faso in April 2014. 

Students from USA and UK visit GAMCOTRAP

Dr Toury

The work of GAMCOTRAP continues to generate attention both within and outside the Gambia. Students alongside their professors from Juniata College and Texas A&M University in the US visited GAMCOTRAP on the 23^rd and 26^th respectively. The aim of the visits is to know the work of the organization, its challenges and the successes made over the years.  Executive Director of GAMCOTRAP

Dr. Isatou Touray, welcomed the visiting students and their professors and said that the doors of her organization is open to everyone irrespective race or nationality. This invitation resulted to GAMCOTRAP hosting of several interns around the world. She emphasized the need for more collaborative efforts both locally and internationally in the fight against FGM and other harmful traditional practices. The students were briefed on the work of GAMCOTRAP and strategies being used that resulted to tremendous achievement of 4 public declarations during which 128 ex-circumcisers supported by 900 communities have dropped the knife to end FGM.

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The discussions are characterized by a presentation on the effects of FGM followed by questions and answers in a very interactive way. The visitors were overwhelmed with the ongoing advocacy at the grassroots and declared that they too have a role to play because women’s rights are human rights. 

ECOWAS court rules Gambia failed to investigate journalist murder.

Abuja, Nigeria, June 10, 2014-The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes today's ruling by a West African regional court, which found that the Gambian government failed to conduct a meaningful investigation into the murder of journalist Deyda Hydara. The ruling is the first ECOWAS case relating to the murder of a Gambian journalist. 

Hydara, the founder of the independent newspaper The Point , was shot dead by unidentified assailants as he drove home from his office in the capital, Banjul, on December 16, 2004. Hydara, a regular critic of President Yahya Jammeh's harsh policies, had received multiple death threats in the months leading up to his death. His murder remains unsolved.