SERREKUNDA, The Gambia, Mar 07 (IPS) – In March 2000, 15-year-old Binta Manneh was eager to test her skills at an out-of-town interschool sports competition. That night, as she stepped out to buy biscuits from a nearby shop, she encountered paramilitary officers – men sworn to protect the nation.
But one of them became her worst nightmare. He overpowered her, silencing her screams, ignoring her pleas for mercy. He raped her, stealing her innocence, her dreams, and a piece of her future. Binta never received justice.
Twenty-five years later, too many girls like Binta continue to suffer. In The Gambia, one in three girls experiences sexual violence before the age of 18, and nearly 30% are married off before they reach adulthood.
These violations steal their futures and cripple national development, as women’s trauma affects their ability to pursue education, find employment, and participate fully in society, creating a vicious cycle of poverty and inequality. When half of the population is marginalized and denied basic rights, it stalls social and economic progress.
In 2023, The Gambia registered 575 cases of gender-based violence, including rape, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence. However, none of the survivors were able to access justice, highlighting a systemic failure in the legal system.
From 2014 to 2017, 1,576 cases of gender-based violence were reported, 41% of them involving sexual violence, and the youngest victim was just 18 months old.
Disturbingly, in Farafenni, a magistrate recently fined a rapist D50,000 for assaulting a 13-year-old girl, despite The Gambia’s Sexual Offences Act 2013 mandating a minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment. This reflects the systemic failures to protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable.
March 8, International Women’s Day, is a day to celebrate women’s achievements, but it also serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive violence women and girls still face.
While the world celebrates progress, many women, like Binta, continue to experience the darkest moments of their lives. This day should be a call to action, urging us to ask: What does our celebration mean if millions of women and girls remain unsafe, unheard, and unprotected? True progress is not measured only in women in leadership positions but in the safety, support, and opportunities given to the most vulnerable.
In The Gambia, organizations such as the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare, The Gambia Commission for Human Rights, and the Network Against Gender-Based Violence are working tirelessly to address and prevent gender-based violence.
My organisation Fantanka is also making a difference through mentorship, leadership training, and community advocacy programs.
To date, Fantanka has empowered over 1,000 women and girls, provided psychosocial support to more than 500 survivors of gender-based violence, and contributed to increasing community awareness, resulting in more cases being reported and greater accountability.
These efforts are helping to dismantle the systems that allow violence to persist, working toward a society where women and girls are protected and valued. Other organizations, like the Female Lawyers Association, Women in Liberation and Leadership, Women’s Association for Women & Victims’ Empowerment, Think Young Women, and The Girls’ Agenda, are also playing vital roles in this fight.
The fight against gender-based violence requires a collective effort from governments, businesses, communities, and individuals.
Stronger laws must be enacted and rigorously enforced. Perpetrators must face real consequences, and survivors must be provided with trauma-informed support to heal. Individuals and communities must be educated about evidence preservation techniques.
Education plays a crucial role; schools must be safe spaces where young girls are encouraged to speak out, and boys are taught to respect and protect, rather than harm.
Community engagement is equally vital. Advocates must work with traditional and religious leaders to use their influence to challenge harmful practices and advocate for justice. Families must foster open dialogues, ensuring that survivors feel supported rather than shamed.
This International Women’s Day let’s not just celebrate progress but let’s also work to create a world where women and girls are truly safe, supported, and empowered. Will we be the generation that takes a stand? Now is the time to act.
Mariama Jobarteh is CEO/Founder of Fantanka, a public health professional and advocate for gender justice, juvenile justice, mental health, and transitional justice in The Gambia
© Inter Press Service (2025) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service
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2025-03-07 17:20:32
