Gambia’s record on women’s rights to face scrutiny by UN committee

GENEVA – The Gambia’s record on women’s rights will be examined by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on Thursday 9 July in meetings that will be webcast live.

The Gambia is one of the 189 States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and so is required to submit regular reports to the Committee of 23 independent experts on how it is implementing the Convention.

The Committee will engage in a dialogue with a delegation from the Gambian Government of on questions relating to the promotion and protection of women’s rights in the country, and will also hear from NGO representatives. The session will take place in Conference Room XVI at Palais des Nations in Geneva from 10:00 - 17:00 (08:00 – 15:00 in The Gambia).  The live webcast can be viewed at http://www.treatybodywebcast.org/. 

Among the possible issues to be discussed are: Women’s access to justice; measures to tackle female genital mutilation and other forms of violence against women; measures to promote women’s participation in political and public life; decriminalization of abortion; support for women living with HIV/AIDS; situation of rural women; incompatibility of customary and personal laws with the Convention, particularly in regard to marriage, divorce and inheritance; measures to combat child and forced marriage

GAMCOTRAP joins one billion rising revolution

Febraury 14 globally, is Valentine day; a day when lovers renew their love, commitment but women and men in The Gambia have been rising together with the rest of the world to end violence against women, thanks to GAMCOTRAP.

GAMCOTRAP, a women’s right NGO, who have over the years been very active and effective in the promotion of women and children’s rights, particularly those relate to female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and other discriminatory practices joined the global energy to strike, dance and rise against Violence against women calling for an end to FGM, early marriage and other gender discriminatory practices affecting women and men in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

V-day is founded by Eve Ensler, a journalist and writer for 15 years and is celebrated on Valentine’s Day globally to bring focus to all forms of violence such as rape, early marriage, battering, Female Genital Mutilation, amongst others and to contribute to the global efforts to end these atrocities in every country and community.

In preparation of the One Billion Rising 2015, GAMCOTRAP held a press briefing to update the public on rising to end violence against women in the Gambia. The executive director of GAMCOTRAP, Dr Isatou Touray said:

 “We rise, we dance, we demand for justice but we now want to change in perceptions and attitudes to dismantle patriarchy and change institutions to take responsibility to end violence against women. We have the responsibility to protect women and girls from all forms of harmful traditional practices, be it female genital mutilation, early and forced marriages, and break the silence over sexual abuse in the home, school, office or any other public place

Former justice minister on bail: As fresh charges were preferred against him

Lamin Jobateh, former justice minister

 High Court in Banjul has released the former justice minister on bail to the tune of D3 million with two Gambian sureties.Jobarteh has moved one step toward his freedom.The former minister has spend several week behind bars until his bail yesterday.

Lamin Jobarteh was indicted yesterday July, 24, with fresh charges ranging from giving false information, economic crime, abuse of office, wrongfully retaking possession of land, forcible entry and operating a business without license before Justice Emmanuel Nkea of the Special Criminal Division.

He is accused of ordering and assisting the arrest and detention of Alieu Barry and Bernd Geoge Diedrich and also Mustapha Kanyi and Yerro Jamanka at Bansag police station.