Big read: The Gambia And The Women’s Struggle

Gender Activist, Teacher And Journalist

Introduction

Amie Sillah has such an admirable history of activism and practical achievements that one wonders what she is doing at that desperate den of 2% no-hopers!  Amie also seems to have in-born resistance to the verbal vertigo and constitutional confusion that is prevalent at the people’s bureau. We hope she will decamp and join the APRC soon, and reach higher heights under our wonderfully women-friendly president, His Excellency Alhaji Dr Yahya  AJJ Jammeh!  

Editor

My Background

I am a trained public health officer. I have served the length and breadth of my country. Prior in my secondary school days I was a right fighter and fierce debater for Women's Rights.

My family established a Nursery School since 1985 where children at 7 years can describe simple anatomy and physiology and can describe the human organs in simple English. They know the 53 states in Africa and their capitals. Children are taught gender relationship at this tender age to bring harmony into society.

I am responsible for the Marriage and Family Life Column in the Foroyaa Trikweekly Newspaper re I entertain and educate couples to live meaningful lives in an African Cultural Setting. My stories are based on real life experiences. I am married to Mr. Sam Sarr, Managing Editor of the Foroyaa Newspaper.

We are blessed with three kids, 2 sons and a daughter. The first son is an Engineer at the airport, the last son is studying IT systems in the U.S. The eldest daughter is a nurse and is married.

I have travelled widely to Africa, Europe, Asia and America. I have been attending the UN Commission on the status of Women since 2005. I have recently returned after attending the 52nd Edition of the CWS. Myself and Dr. Isatou Touray prepared the Gambia Report Beijing +10 the NGO perspective.

I believe in Women Solidarity that is our common ground. But I also recognized our differences, specificities, and our divergences. I believe we have to forge partnership with boys and men to change our country, Africa and the world. Together we can make a change that we can believe in.

Women On The Move History Of The Women Movement

"Women Have Always Held Up Half The Sky!"

Women have struggle for personal identity beyond being treated as property, slaves or sexual objects. The modern western industrial revolution and suffrage movements created movement for women's civil and legal rights.

1975: Mexico City, first World Conference on women. A plan for Action.

The participation of 100 nations recognized the potential and ideal status of women in society. It named obstacles to obtaining equal rights, opportunities  and responsibilities for women.  UN Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace

1976: The decade defined objectives of the women's movements: Equality, Development and Peace.

1980: Copenhagen, Second World Conference on Women: A Program for Action

Copenhagen interpreted equality beyond the legal definitions of equal rights responsibilities and opportunities to include the participation of women in development, both as beneficiaries and as active agents.

1985: Nairobi, Third World Conference on Women: Forward-Looking Strategies for Women (FLS)

Nairobi was characterized by challenges to mainstream development and was more inclusive of participation from the Global South.

1990: 5-year review of the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies: Global momentum was seen to be slowing and the need for urgent action was expressed and affirmed. A re-awakening!

1995: Beijing, , Fourth World Conference On Women: Beijing Platform For Action (BPFA) 40,000 women from all over the World participated, providing voice and visibility to the political power of women,  and illustrating the importance of the women's agenda to the wellbeing of the world.

2000: Beijing Plus Five (B+5): Special Session of the General Assembly (SSGA) An outcomes document listed the achievements for the advancement of women during the previous 5 years. It identified obstacles and current challenges to the process, and strengthened the BPFA by focusing action and addressing new issues.

2005: Beijing 10 (B+10)

A celebratory review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform and the outcomes document of the 23rd SSGA also looked current challenges and forward looking strategies since the SSGA.

2008: CSW52

Our Moment Is Now!!

World Conferences On Women

Mexico City 1975

The first UN Conference on Women Coincided with the international Women's Year and served to remind the international community that discrimination against women continued to be persistent problem in much of the world. The flowing goals were established.

* Full gender equality and the elimination of gender discrimination
    
* The integration and full participation of women in development

· An increased contribution by women in the strengthening of world peace.


A world plan of Action was adopted at the Mexico City Conference. This document offered guidelines for governments and the international community to follow over the next ten years to accomplish the three key objectives set by the General Assembly. The plan of Action set minimum targets to be met by 1980, that focused on securing equal access for women to resources including education, employment, opportunities, political participation, health services, housing, nutrition and family planning.

Whereas women were previously perceived as passive recipients of support and assistance, they were now viewed as full and equal partners with men, with equal right to resources and opportunities. A similar transformation was taking place in the approach to development, with a shift from an earlier belief that development served to advance women to a new consensus, that development was not possible without the full participation of women.

Copenhagen 1980

At the second UN Conference on women, it was determined that there was a discrepancy between universal legal rights and women's ability to exercise these rights. The barriers were:

Lack of sufficient involvement of men in improving women's role in society;

Insufficient political will;

Lack of recognition of the value of women's contributions to society;

Lacks of attention to the particular needs of women in planning;

Shortage of women in decision-making positions;

Insufficient services such as cooperatives, day-care centres and credit facilities to support the role of women in national life;

Overall lack of necessary financial resources;

Lack of awareness among women about the opportunities available to them

Nairobi 1985

The Third UN Conferences Sought to assess the achievements of the UN Decade for women. Although the women's movement had now become an international force unified under the banner of the "Decade for women: Equality, Development and Peace," delegates were confronted with shocking reports.

Data gathered by the UN revealed that improvements in the status of women and efforts to reduce discrimination had benefited only a small minority of women. Implementation in the situation of women in the developing world had been marginal at best.

The Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies (NFLS) to the year 2000 was a blue print for improving the conditions of women through the end of century. It broken new ground as it declared all issues to be women issues.

Women's participation in decision making and the handling of all human affairs was recognized not only as their legitimate right as a social and political necessity that would have to be incorporated in all institutions of society. The NFLS established the following categories as measures for achieving equality at national levels.

    
* Constitutional and legal steps;
    
* Equality in social participation;
    
* Equality in political participation and decision-making;

It was now recognized that women's equality, far from being an isolated issue, encompassed every sphere of human activity. Therefore, a women's perspective, including active involvement of all issues, not only women's issues, was essential if the goals and objectives of the Decade for women were to be attained.

Beijing 1995

A fundamental transformation took place in the Beijing fourth world conference on women. This was the recognition, from Vienna Conference on Human Rights, that women's rights are human rights. There must be a shift of focus from "Women" to the concept of "gender," recognizing that the entire structure of society, and all  relations between men and women within it, had to be re-evaluated.

The Beijing Conference unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Beijing Platform for Action, which were, in essence, an agenda for women's empowerment. These stand as milestones for the advancement of women in the 21st century. The Beijing Platform for action specified twelve critical Areas of concern, whose solutions were considered to be necessary to women's advancement:

   
1. Women and poverty;
   
2. Education and Training of women;
   
3. Women and Health;
 
 4. Violence against Women;
   
5. Women and armed conflict;
   
6. Women and the economy;
   
7. Women in power and decision-making;
   
8. Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women;
   
9. Human rights of women;

10. Women and the media;

11. Women and the environment;

12. The girl child
 
13. Women and Disability

Gender Equality In The UN

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was established in 1946 by the Economic and Social Council to prepare recommendations and reports for the council on promoting women's rights in the political, economic, civil, social and educational fields.

The CSW consists of 45 members elected by the ECOSOC for a period of four years.

Members, who are appointed by governments, are elected on the following basis: 13 from African States, 9 from Latin American and Caribbean States, and 8 from Western European and other states. The commission meet annually for a period of 10 working days.

The Convention On The elimination Of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bills of rights for women consisting of a preamble and thirty articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national actions to end such discrimination. By accepting the Convention, states commit themselves to undertake a series of measures designed to end all forms of discrimination against women, including-

Incorporating the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolishing all discriminatory laws and adopting appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women.

Establishing tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination.

Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations. As of 18 March 2005, the Convention, which was entered into force on 3 September 1981, has 180 state parties.

The Gambia has ratified the CEDAW in 1992 but it yet to fulfil all its requirements. De Jure, The Gambia is fine on paper, But De factor more political will is needed for the painful transition.

Optional Protocol to the CEDAW Convention in 1999, the UN General Assembly adopted the Optional Protocol to the CEDAW Convention. By ratifying the Optional Protocol as a state means recognizing recognizing the competence of the committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against women, the body that monitors the compliance of states with the convention, to receive and consider complaints from individuals or groups within its jurisdiction. The CEDAW Optional Protocol entered into force in December 2000.

Division for the Advancement of women The UN Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) is based at the UN Headquarters in New York within the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The Division advocates the improvement of the status of women of the world and the achievement of their equality with men.  

The Protocol To The African Charter On Human And People's Rights On The Rights Of Women In Africa

This Protocol is prepared  by African Women Activists. It has already come into force. It has been adopted by the 2nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union Maputo, 11 July 2003. it came to force in November 2005.

The women Protocol takes into consideration African's specificities and incorporating all the other articles addressed by CEDAW. Polygamy is an African reality. Article 6 (c )  Marriage: Monogamy is encourage as a preferred form of marriage and that the rights of women in marriage and family, including in polygamous martial relationships are promoted and protected.

Art 14-Health and Reproductive Rights

(d) The right to self protection and to be protected against sexually  transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS

(e) The right to be informed on one health's status and the health status of one's partner, particularly if affected with sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, in accordance with internationally recognized standards and best practices;

(14) (2c) Protect the reproductive rights of women by authorizing medical abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest, and where continued pregnancy endangers the mental and physical health of the mother or the life of the mother or the foetus.

The Women Protocol is unique in this aspect and is Africa context specific.

National Policy For The Advancement Of Gambian Women

At the International level, The Gambia participated in fora that brought women issues in the forefront of development concerns and the recommendations of such gatherings have been taken into account in the appropriate Sectoral Policies and Programmes.

These international conventions include the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Beijing Plan for Action.

The Gambia was identify as a pilot site for women in Development Project in 1990. This intervention was jointly funded by the African Development Bank, the government of Norway and the government of The Gambia, experimented on a multi-sectoral approach to the gender problem and one of the activities called for the development of a National Policy for women.


The National Machinery For Women

A National Women's Council Act was enacted in 1980 to set up a body to advice government on women affairs and a Women's Bureau was established to implement decisions of this Council.

Non-Government-Organisations, NGOs are also stakeholders in highlighting women issues, concerns and trying to solve some of the problems.

The Second Republic ushered in its National Vision 2020. It wants to use the policy to translate its objectives which is says is to harmorise the relationship between the sexes through the elimination of inequalities and the empowerment of women.

Women constitute half of Gambia's population. The majority of women are in the rural arcs  and they engaged in agricultural production. They engage in fish processing and marketing of fish and fish products also fresh produce. They sell crafts in the tourism industry and other informal sector activities. The illiteracy rate is high in women about 73%. Women have low self esteem due to the socialization process.  

Women And Health

The maternal mortality rate is high, 730/100,000. This is unacceptable. The under 5 Mortality Rate is also high. Malaria is still a high killer disease of mother and child, as well as diarrhea and the other intestinal ailments.


Poor nutrition also affects mother and child. Malaria cause anaemia and anaemia kills mother and child. The poor nutrition of the mother affects the baby's weight and therefore puts him/her at risk. Sometimes there is food but how it is cooked can make it lose its vitamins and minerals. Also tradition encourages women to give the best portion of the food to their husbands forgetting themselves and their children. Bed nets should be encouraged for mothers and their children. Environmental cleanliness, sports and exercise to keep fit should also be encouraged.

The Activities at CSW 52 Edition are urging our governments to increase the Official Development Assistance (ODAs) to 10% in 2010 and 20% to 2015. Debt cancellation should translate into gender equality financing and empowerment of women.

HIV/AIDS and other STIs have their toll on women and young girls. Women and teenage girls cannot negotiate for sex. Giving the biological nature of woman they are the depository of the semen. Wives cannot tell their husbands to wear condom. Girls cannot tell their boyfriends to wear condom. Sex workers are paid more without condom. All these tendencies put women at high risk.

Harmful traditional practices also affect women and girls' health. FGM, Early marriage, forced wife inheritance, food taboos, tatooing, tribal marks etc affect the health of the feminine gender. Clean, accessible, protable water and sanitation are critical to women's health.

Women And Poverty

The data everywhere showed that the majority of women are poor. Low literacy rate, low self esteem, victims of violence and backward traditional practices. Government must increase the gender budget to empower women and men. Poverty is due to unemployment and underemployment, the land tenure system disfavours poor women.

Lack of microfinance facilities or their high interest rates also affect poor women. Lack of markets,  the non existence of value added goods, feeder roads is critical to women and poverty. Government have to address the issue to its best capacity when the debts are cancelled.

Women And Education

The low female literacy rate in The Gambia is critical to development. We need non-formal and informal Education for women. We need skills centres for economic empowerment of women and girls. We need affirmative actions to get women into tiertiary and technical institutions to create a critical mass then change the policy back to competition.

There is access to education at the lower levels nursery and primary but as they climb the ladder there is a lot of sliding due to early marriage, teenage pregnancy and the favourtism meted to boy children in terms of education.


Women And Violence

Women and violence is critical to socio-economic development. All categories of women are affected, urban, rural, rich, poor, old and young. It is the silent killer of women. It affects all races, all religious and all ethnic groups. It cannot be justified but they tried  to justify it. It is an embarrassment to women.

They hide it thus the culture of silence. As activists we cannot get the statistics. There is child abuse, rape, incest, battering, killing etc. The family honour. 'Don't wash your dirty linen in public.' We are advised. Yes, even though we should not wash our dirty linen outside we have to wash it inside.

We cannot hide it under the bed or the carpet. Women are dying. Society have to act now! Again in The Gambia  there is double standard. Men kill their wives, girlfriends they call it an accident. When women take the law in their hand thee is an outcry. Violence is violence. As civilized, groomed people we should detest violence against men, and violence against women. What is good for the goose should be good for the gander.

Gender financing and the empowerment of women will make them have choice to get out of violent situations.

Women And The Economy

Gambia Women are the backbone of the informal economy and so are women in most parts of the third world countries. They need gender financing, micro-economic soft, interest free loans to pick up.

When they are well established interest can be added gradually. Government should engage in manufacturing to create value added goods. The private sector should also be encourage to do the same by government creating a conducive environment for the corporations bodies.  Corporate Bodies should also become gender sensitive in their operation. ECOWAS markets should be opened to the women and men of the sub region as well as the African market through the AU auspicesand the World Market open through the WTO.

Women And Human Rights

Women rights are human rights. The Gambia has ratified all the UN conventions on women as well as the AU Women Protocol. What is left now is domestication and for the laws to take its course without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.

Women And Governance

The Vice President and SoS Women Affairs is a woman. Basic Education, Tourism and Culture, Justice and Attorney General, Communication are all women. In the National Assembly, the speaker is a woman.

There are three nominated women and two elected women. In the recently concluded local government election a handful of women have stood and many especially those sponsored by the present administration succeeded.

Women fear to stand as candidates in politics. Why? Because of Economic, social and cultural barriers. With politics in the Gambia you need money to campaign and mobility to go around. Socially, women cannot withstand the dirty politics of character assassination and insults. Americans call it "Kitchen Sink Strategy". Culturally, women are meant to be seen and not heard.

The powers that be can change it by creating a conductive environment. Adopting affirmative action strategy. That is quotas, proportional representation to create a critical mass of women. Corporations, the UN System Bilateral and Multi Lateral donors can help government and other stakeholders in this aspect.  

Women And The Environment

Women are keepers of the environment. They gather firewood and fruits from the forest. And also fetch water for their families. Global warming due to high Co2 emissions, bush fires, forest degradation is affecting the environment. Women are not consulted. They are not part of the management committees yet they are the keepers of the forest and they have their indigenous knowledge and unique  experiences. This attitude should change and the present administration can make it happen.
 
Women And Armed Conflict

In The Gambia there is relative peace. There is no open conflict. But we should address the underlining issues of good governance, respect for human rights, the rule of law and the fight against poverty.

The sub region was in conflict and there were a lot of refugees which pressurised our ailing economy. But thank god, relative peace have returned to the sub region. Liberia, Sierra Leone have gone back to governance. Women yearn for peace. In war, violence is triple fold. There is rape, murder, sexual slavery and violence of all sorts against women and children. That's why the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security is a testimony to the impact of NGO advocacy as well as to the effectiveness of the partnerships of NGO, governments and the UN.

Women And The Media

Women and the media is a critical issue in the Power Game Equation. Who owns the media? Whose issues are promoted? How is the woman viewed in the media? As a nation we have to address these issue transparently and deligently. We need a gender policy in the all types of media, electronic, print, internet and traditional.

The Girl Child

The girls child issue is critical to women empowerment. Today's girl is  tomorrow's woman. Amnesty International is on a campaign! Make our school safe for our girls children. Data have show that our schools are not safe for our girls. Going to school, in school and at home. They are rape, impregnated, abuse and discarded. Governments are asked  to make our schools safe for our children. They are held responsible because we voted for them and we are paying our taxes. Boys and men are to be sensitized to be part of the campaigns. When enlightened men and boys take the lead the backward men and boys will change their course. The home should be made conductive for our children, boys and girls. Life saving skills should be taught  to our children. As parents we should teach our children morals and good habits. Show them sympathy, emphaty and respect.

Differently Abled Women

Differently Abled Women should not be forgotten. They are discriminated, abused and exploited by the system. Men and Women discriminate them because of their added adjective. They have their organisations which are also not gender sensitive.

The buildings, homes and offices are not differently abled friendly. There are no ramps. This section of our population are denied access to facilities to make their lives better. They need gender financing and women empowerment. They need their special education schools but government need to finance them through healthy subventions. They are also callings for the development of a unified sign language.

National Machineries

National Machineries need a direct budget from the consolidated fund. They should create a conductive environment for women, Gender and children NGOs, CBOS CSOs to operate. The UN System, multilateral and bilateral organisations should put their hands on desk and concensuouly put their money where their heart is.

The End