9 April 2008...4:58 pm
Invest More in Women -VP Njie-Saidy Urges Gambia
Dr Aja Isatou Njie-Saidy, Vice President and secretary of state for Women’s Affairs has said that the attainment of the goal of gender equality and women’s empowerment not only in the Gambia but also in the world at large cannot be achieved without the availability of timely and adequate financil human resources and other resources.
According to her, since 1980, when the national machinery for the advancement of women and girls in The Gambia was created, adequate financing has been a challenge due to limited resources although, government supported by a development partner has endeavoured to ensure the availability of resources, in many and varied ways, but the desired levels are yet to be achieved.
VP Njie Saidy made this remarks last Friday in her office while delivery her goodwill meesage on the accasion of the International Women’s Day, March 8th, 2007 on the theme “financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women”.
Below we reproduce the full text of VP Njie-Saidy’s address;
Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women
You will recall that, every year, on the 8th of March, International Women’s Day is celebrated throughout the world with the objective of highlighting that achievements and challenges in the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls at the nationa and global levels.
This global event has grown from stength to strength and has become an event which brings women and all other stakholders together to promote and advocate for more cohesive and coordinated interventions towards effectively addressing the critical needs of women in the social, political and economic processes. Each year a relevant theme is identified globally that is deemed most appropriate. This year’s theme is: “financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women”.
Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women
In the Gambia, we cannot overemphasize the relevance ans timeless of this year’s theme on Gender equality financing which focus is given by the UN and its other development partners, particularly, during the 52nd session of the commission on the Status of Women in New York from the 25th of february to the 7th of March 2008.
Currently being attended by representative of the DOSWA & Women’s Bureau. The attainment of the goal of gender equality and women’s empowerment, not only in the Gambia but also in the world at large, cannot be achieved without the availability of timely and adequate financial human material and other resources.
Since 1980, when the national machinery for the advancement of women and girls, in The Gambia was created, adequate financing has been a challenge due to limited resourcesalthough, Government supported by A development partner has endeavoured to ensure the availability of resources, in many and varied ways, but the desired levels are yet to be achieved. In the early 90s a project was initiated by goverment in collaboration with the World Bank a six year multi- sectoral and multi- donor funded Women in Development Project, which aimed at imroving the status of women through the provision of resources to sectoral agencies and NGOs in the areas of health, agriculture, credit, community skills improvement, IEC, researc, M & E and training.
The project employed the concept of women in development although the strategy was proven to be only partly effective and helped strengthen women related sectors.
Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women
In light of the above, the concept, Gender and Development ( GAD) was adopted in 1995, which empoyed the strategy of mainstreaming gender perspectives in national programmes and policies at all levels by all actors.
The strategy was endorsed in the Platform for action during the Beijing, China, fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 for the promotion of gender equality which it emphasized as central to addressing all critical areas of concern to men and women. In the same document governments were called upon, together with other stakeholders to promote effectie policies of mainstreamning gender perspectives in programmes and policies at national and international levels, complemented by targeted interventions to ensure its full and effective implementation.
Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women
The achievements on the above mentioned areas, include the women in development project and other projects or interventions such as the formulation and ratification of Gambia’s first Policy for the Advancement of Women and Girls, Mainstreaming of gender and Poverty Project funded by DFID, the drafting of Women’s Bill, creation of gender unit at the Department of State for basic and Secondary Educationa s well as institutionalization of Gender focal Points at other sectoral levels, economic empowerment foucsed projects under the Department of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and natural Resource, Trade and Employment, Youth and Sports, the Gambia chamber of commerce and Industry, Commercial Banks, Public Institutions, NGO’s UN Agencies, other development partners and Civil Society Organisations.
http://www.ukgambians.net/stories/invest_more_in_women_vp_njiesa.htm
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