Presentation Girls Vocational School (PGVS) Friday held its eight graduation and prize giving ceremony at the school premises in Banjul. 71 students graduated from both the Commercial and Home Economic sections.The theme of the event was “Women in development”.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sister Roseline Colley, the principal of the school urged the graduantes to make good use of what they received from PGVS and to further their studies to acquire knowledge and self-dignity.

The guest speaker, Kaddijatou Jobarteh, spoke on the important of education, saying that a better future for young women is timely and important. According to her, achieving gender quality is not just within the MDGs premise in its own right, but crucial for meeting other MDGs too. She said that is why empowering women and girls by endowing them with the skills to accelerate the MDGs is a duty upon all of them as individuals.

Jobarteh added that young women around the globe possess the collective power to change their lives, their communities and the world they live in where they face daily challenges. She added that young women are continually developing and innovating effective ways to improve their lives by bringing together their wisdom and creativity.

She noted that increasing the voice and participation of women is crucial for putting issues on the national agenda. “Women have been playing a vital role in national development as they occupy various positions like ministers, presidents, vice president, MD just to name few,” she further noted. She finally urged the grandaunts to take up the challenges of life and work hard to make their school proud of them.

For her part, Veronic Mendy, a senior staff of PGVS described the school as one of the best skills centres in The Gambia. She disclosed that PGVS has been in existence since 1972, with most of its studentsoccupying good positions and wellrespected in society.