One Billion Rising for Justice: An Invitation to Break Pain

Dr Touray flanked on the Left  by Amie Bojang

 14 February globally, is valentine day; a day when lovers renew their love, commitment but this year women and men in The Gambia will rise together in the largest day of mass action ever to rise for justice.

Children, youth, women and men from all walks of life including people with disabilities, are joining the global determination to end the multiple violence’s, a globally coordinated campaign aimed to call to an end of violence against women and girls, according to GAMCOTRAP, a leading women’s rights organization in country.

Thousands of One Billion Rising for Justice Events will take place throughout the world. These events are organized and produced by local activists. It’s the day of synchronized action when one billion people in 207 countries will rise for justice.

BILLION RISING FOR JUSTICE is a global call to women survivors of violence and those who love them to gather safely in community outside places where they are entitled to justice – courthouses, police stations, government offices, school administration buildings, work places, sites of environmental injustice, military courts, embassies, places of worship, homes, or simply public gathering places where women deserve to feel safe but too often do not. 

Life Stories Use as a Tool of Advocacy in the Right of Women in Islam

 

Life stories of women documented on Qiwamah and Wilayan in The Gambia has been used to advocate for the rights of Women in Islam.

The first ever in the Gambia, Qiwamah and Wilayan is Musawah’s initiative to make knowledge and advocacy strategies relating to family laws and practices and women’s rights in Islam more accessible. 
It’s a groundbreaking analysis of family law, based on fieldwork in family courts, and illuminated by insights from distinguished clerics and scholars of Islam, as well as by the experience of human rights and women’s rights activists.

Through this life stories, GAMCOTRAP, a women’s right NGO,   during the weekend gathered women from the Kanifing Municipality on the project “creating awareness and documenting issues on the, life stories of women on Qiwamah and Wilayan in the Gambia”,  implemented in collaboration with the New Field Fund of Tides Foundation that supports the advocacy to reach out to hundreds of women.

This advocacy targets 150 women leaders, women of reproductive age, religious leaders and village heads.  It was a moment filled with emotions as some of the participants reveal some of their stories.

GAMCOTRAP: AN END TO A LONG JOURNEY FOR JUSTICE!

L-R: Dr. Isatou Touray and Amie Bojang-Sissoho

We give thanks and appreciation to Almighty Allah Subhanahu watalla, our families, friends, partners and well wishers for being with us all through this tribulation that Allah has bestowed upon us. We give glory to the highest, the king of Kings, Giver and Reckoner of who does what. The Lord Almighty has redeemed us from all darkness and brought the light to the public that we are not guilty of the false allegation.

We were requested by the National Drug Enforcement Agency/National Intelligence Agency to report to the Police Headquarters in Banjul. After a long wait without any explanation, we were led into a cage at the police station where we spent the night on a mattress infested with lice and bugs.