Anyone concerned about civil liberties will be very disheartened at recent developments in Kerewan which has seen a time restriction of 1am introduced by the village elders. The move, we are told, is meant to restrict the movement of people in order to tackle pregnancy out of wedlock. Everyone would agree that the issue of pregnancy outside of wedlock is one that should be tackled but these draconian measures are not the way to go about it. What happens in the case of an emergency if somebody has to go to another part of the village to seek help? Will these people be punished simply because they find themselves in a time of crisis? Who will decide if a person has a good enough excuse to be out after 1am? Kerewan is a part of The Gambia and cannot simply introduce these kinds of restrictions willy nilly. They must adhere to the laws of the land which allow the free movement of people whatever the time, day or night. The other aspect of the pregnancy issue is that girls can get pregnant during daylight hours also. Has a major study been carried out that shows girls were only falling in the family way after 1am and before seven in the morning?

These kinds of sweeping, draconian measures generally prove to be ineffective and only serve to infringe the rights of the people of the area.

Should parents not take responsibility for their daughter’s chastity? It is not the job of the state to ensure that young girls are not falling pregnant outside the bounds of conjugal union by restricting the freedom of movement of the rest of the population. It most certainly is not the job of village elders or self appointed judges to make these kinds of decisions. The human rights of those who have been arrested are being violated by those who arrested them and they should be immediately released without charge.

There are a number of solutions if there is indeed a problem with pregnancies in the area. Girls must be better educated to make informed choices about what kinds of activities they engage in. Boys should also be taught the basics about the reproductive functions of the human body and the responsibility that comes with having a baby. If this education is provided then all young people can be informed about the consequences of their actions and not make silly mistakes that can infringe on the life they might wish to have for themselves in the future.

We on the continent of Africa have fought too long and hard for our freedom for us to stand idly by while and unelected group of people in any area try to take it from those who live there. We must cherish and protect civil liberties and personal freedom as highly as we prize the chastity of our sons and daughters.

“The love of freedom is the love of other; the love of power is the love of ourselves.”

William Hazlitt

The front pages of newspapers in The Gambia these days are increasingly becoming commonplaces for stories that unleash shredding displeasure. The frequency of reported murder crimes, if truth should be told, calls for urgent attention, especially from those constitutionally entrusted to protect life and property.

The other day, it was in Berending that some beastly human being hacked a helpless old mama to death; and just few weeks after, as if Gambians had not had enough, a similar act of barbarity occurred. This time it is further inland, in the village of Kuntaur, where an Imam was killed in a most grueling of manners. According to reports, all these deaths happened in some obscure circumstances.

It is not the nature of obscurity surrounding these mishaps that arouses our concern; its far from that. It is a fact that these incidents happen so frequently. But, more importantly, it is that they are happening in this Gambia of ours, a country that has made name for itself globally for its enviable culture of serenity and unimaginable hospitality.

Some of our local readers may have derived some level of delight from occasional complementary remarks by outsiders about the peaceful nature of our country. This only reinforces the fact that the name, the ‘Smiling Coast of Africa’, did not just come spontaneously; the country, thanks to its people, earned it truly.

But unfortunately, this peace we have learned to cherish is under threat. As such, it is the duty of all to nurture and defend it. When it comes to the security of the nation, every Gambian should regard themselves as police of some sort. Whether The Gambia remains a peaceful place or not, it is not only for a section of society; it is for all of us. In the same vein, it is incumbent upon all to safeguard the tradition of peace and security we know in this country.

However, it’s worth mentioning for all to understand that the Gambia Police Force cannot do this all by itself; it needs the full support of the masses. But, of course, the degree of collaboration they get depends on their level of readiness to share information with key institutions. The media comes into focus here. We must, at this juncture, welcome and congratulate Ensa Badjie, the newly appointed police boss, for the trust and confidence he has earned himself, which has warranted his ascension to this level. It is suffice to note that his appointment is rooted from the level of quality of service he has been rendering to the nation. It is however worth mentioning that there is absolutely no room for complacency. The press needs his reciprocal support if we are to make the difference. IGP Badjie’s success depends, to a great extent, on a cordial relationship with members of the press. Unnecessarily suppressing information that is worth releasing foments dangerous speculations, especially from the enemy press.   

We do hope that Badjie’s appointment will mark the beginning of a renewed vigor against crime in this country.

Women have been referring to GAMCOTRAP office, seeking advice, guidance and support on a daily basis, regarding matters of Violence Against Women, Personal Status Law etc.

An extraordinary case reported and was related to the rights of women to have space to market ice blocks they sell to support their families at Brikama in the western region. They have been abused by and intermediary man who collects money from them and never pay to NAWEC for the electricity consumed.  This was discovered when the electricity supply was disconnected.

GAMCOTRAP’s bridge building programme to protect girls for overseas:

GAMCOTRAP has been working with partners in some European countries to share information and track girls broutht to the Gambia for FGM.

There has been and increase in the number of cases reported to protect girls from FGM from Spain, Germany, America and Britain. It involved home visits to engage the extended families living the Gambia. So far all the girls involved have been protected.

Another recent case of FGM was reported to Basse Police station.  A girl of about three years, was a victim of a family dispute and became a victim of FGM.  The father knew about GAMCOTRAP and reported the case.

Outcome: the mother and extended family were counseled and the circumciser trained and she vowed never to cut a girl again.

Cases reported relate to the follow:

* Effects of FGM

* Property inheritance

* Divorce and eviction after having 11 children in the marriage

* Wife inheritance and the abuse of woman’s right as an individual

* Psychological

* Forced marriage, lack of support to continue education

* Forced marriage, went to continue schooling

* Girlfriend forced to marry someone else, while he decided to keep her virginity for himself

* Woman evicted with five children due to fighting with co-wife

* Conflict with wife’s family to protect his daughter from FGM

* Grade 9 Fula girl forced to marry in Cassamance

* Battered and abused by husband; while supporting the co-wife

The reported cases came from the following both urban and rural Gambia:

Kunkujang Mariam                         Fajara

Brikama Nyambai                           Faraba

Ebo Town                                    Jambanjelly

SomaBansang                               Bundung

Sare Jula in URR                            Basse Town

Mandinary                                    Banjul

These cases show that dealing with awareness creation activities indeed, women’s rights are human rights and global efforts are under taken by women’s rights activists all over the world.  GAMCOTRAP is in partnership with such global initiatives to promote women’s rights.  It is in this vain that a feminist oranization, V-Day has documented voice of the world in a film entitled, Vagina Monogue.  

The issues highlighted range from rape, sexual abuse, FGM, difficulty in child birth amongs others all relating to the female anatomy the vagina and silence around such abuses.  To begin with, let us first view how the female anatomy is affected by the practice of FGM in our own context.

Editor,

Please allow me space in your widely read newspaper to extend our heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency Alh. Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh,The President of The Republic of The Gambia, on the occasion of the 43rd Independence Anniversary Celebrations of our dear mother land. We pray to Almighty Allah to protect our leader and grant him long life, good health and all Gambians to celebrate many more Independence anniversaries..

On behalf of the Presidential Empowerment for Girls Education Project (PEGEP) sponsored students in UK, I wish to express our profound gratitude to His Excellency President Jammeh for making it possible for all of us to undergo our different fields of studies in UK. We highly appreciate and continue to pray and thank President Jammeh for his support and commitment to the development of The Gambia as well as giving maximum support for not only the Girl Child Education but also Boys. The PEGEP scholarship encompases both boys and girls, irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliation. We are proud of you, Mr President.
 
Mamudou Max Jallow

On behalf of PEGEP sponsored students in UK