How wonderful was it to listen and watch Kebba Diba's interview with Isatou Touray on GRTS - The Exclusive. This was indeed so refreshing and inspirational!

As women we must take our hats off and take a bow for her strength and courage! We need to let her know that we love and appreciate her and the organisation that she belongs to.  We need to take a leaf out of her book to make not just  The Gambia  a great place but the world at large. Sometimes we feel sorry for ourselves as women and feel pained for many  reasons. However, we do have the capability to increase our knowledge capacity , grow individually and take a brave stance for ourselves, and with the support of such organisations the sky is our limit.

Self firsts and then others.  We must do for ourselves  first, improve on what we have, build on it and have faith and trust that it will work. Faith without work cannot work- they go hand in hand. In life there are processes and we must take the first step in order to achieve! One great Author once said: 'First we must conceive then believe and only then can we achieve' .

Durring the interview, Kebba Dibba r had so many questions for our sister, Dr Isatou Touray and some were not the easiest to answer but our sister did us proud. She stood firm and unmoved  and answered the questions well. Issues spoken about were education,  gender equality; the ways of life, Islam, FGM (Female Genital Mutilation ),  violence against women and early marriage among others.

Dr Isatou Touray made it clear that she has been involved in supporting women's rights for a long time and believes that information and awareness in the communities can and will make a big difference in bringing about  women's empowerment. As women we have been quiet for far too long. God created us with ideas and intellect as gifts for us to use. We must therefore use what we are given  - If you don't use it you will lose it. Let's make the best use of what has been given to us.

Dr Isatou Touray is a great role model worthy of emulation. In all honesty, it was the interview that impressed me most and which triggered me to write this piece. My next step is to meet up with her to see where I can assist for us to move to the next levels. Everyone has something to offer.Yes you can. Make a move today to do something positive about your life and let's start making positive changes in order   to earn ourselves the respect we deserve.

Dr Isatou Touray is truly a woman of substance - she is widely known as a  feminist activist. Those who read and know my style of writing will tell you that I go a step further in looking deeper into the true meanings of  words and break them down people to really understand what the words mean. Feminist, according to the collins dictionary is a doctrine or movement that advocates equal rights for women.

Therefore, you and I are feminist activists. So take your stand and let's move forward together. In the holy Quran we have a whole Surah dedicated to the women, I shall end with something from that very Surah:- ( Surah 4 - Verse 1) In the name of Allah the beneficent, most gracious and merciful.
O mankind! Reverence your guardian -Lord, who created you from a single person, created of like nature, his mate and from them twain scattered  (like Seeds) Countless men and women  fear Allah through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and ( reverence) the wombs (that bore you):- for Allah ever watches over you.