The Violence Against Women and Girls consortium was recently launched at the TANGO headquarters.

The VAW&Gs consortium in The Gambia is part of a global network of women organisations, Women Won't Wait, which seeks to accelerate effective responses to the linkages of violence against all women and girls and the spread of HIV.

In her launching statement, Dr Kujeh Manneh, the country director of ActionAid revealed the findings of a study commissioned by ActionAid in 2006 which lists several socio-cultural factors responsible for violence against women and girls in The Gambia.  

She said a culture of silence makes women to suffer in silence for fear of being stigmatised.  

"Women victims of violence who try to leave their marriages are faced with social disapproval and enormous family pressure to return to the marital home," she said.  

She then observed that violence against women and girls goes widely unreported because of fear of retribution, economic and emotional dependence, and concern for their children. She added that the majority of women do not know or have the requisite information about legal instruments that exist to deal with the situation.  

She then called for the application of the various international instruments signed by The Gambia to address gender based discrimination and violence.

Dr Omar Jah, a renowned Islamic scholar at the University of The Gambia and a consultant of an ActionAid funded study on women and Islam talked on the importance that Islam attaches to women, which he said, is manifested by the fact that an entire chapter in the Qoran is devoted to women.  

For those who use Islam to violate women's rights and discriminate against women, Dr Jah urged them to desist from this practice which according to him is very un-Islamic.

Amadou Taal, the chairman of the Board of Directors of World View, The Gambia, emphasised that as mothers, sisters, daughters and wives, women need to be respected and supported to enable them to play an active role in the country's socio-economic development of the country.

Jainaba Nyang-Njie, women's rights manager of Action Aid The Gambia, said the vision of the consortium is to ensure a Gambia in which women claim their rights to be free from violence, and that the rights of women and girls and other vulnerable groups such as PLHAs  and the differentially-abled are respected, protected and enhanced.

The VAW&Gs consortium in The Gambia, comprises of World View-The Gambia, currently holding the chairperson, The Gambia Family Planning Association, the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, Trust Agency for Rural Development, Gambia Red Cross Society, Simma Vocational Training Centre, Mutapola, UNHCR and UNFPA.

People from all walks of life including government officials, representatives of NGOs, CBOs, UN agencies, religious leaders, women's organisations and university students attended the launching.