The Gambia is located in Western Africa bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal. Gambia is the smallest country on the continent of Africa and is a type of enclave of Senegal although it remains a separate country. Life expectancy is 53 years old. President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential elections were held in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completing a nominal return to civilian rule. Jammeh has been elected president n all subsequent elections, in the most recent election in 2006.
The Gambia has a population of 1.5 million and a population growth rate of 2.2 percent. On average, women give birth to 4.7 children. According to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) , there has been a sharp increase in the urban population, rising from 37.1 percent in 1993 to 50.4 percent n 2003. Over 60 percent of the population is under 25 years of age. The largest ethnic group in the country is the Malinke, although the Wolof forms the majority in the capital Banjul. Other ethnic tribes include the Diola in the west of the country, and the Fulani and Soninke, who mostly live in the upriver areas. More than 90 percent of the population is Muslim.
Position of Women
Gambian women presently constitute half the population of the country. The majority of Gambian women are rural, and are engaged in agricultural production. In agriculture, women are generally involved with Food Production, horticultural production; and women farmers raise and manage most of the small ruminants and rural poultry.
Women are also engaged in fisheries as fish off-loaders and fish processors. In forestry, women are engaged in planting seedlings and woodlots. In health, maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high, fertility levels high, although declining. Antenatal care and immunization levels are very high. Other health related issues confronting women, include infertility, early marriage, boy-child preference, harmful traditional practices and inadequate representation of women in decision-making.
As far as education goes, significant progress has been registered in the key areas of enrolment and retention. However, much room remains for improvement in terms of quality.
In the non formal sub-sector, factors such as heavy work load of women, lack of labor saving devices, and poor attitude of men towards women’s literacy continue to be major constraints. Due to the foregoing, women’s access to employment is limited in terms of getting employed in the first place, staying there and making it to the top. Thus making it difficult for women to get out of the vicious circle of poverty.
Women are generally involved in the informal sector, a domain erroneously not generally considered worthy of legislation or monetization. Increasingly, Gambian women are taking up their rightful positions in all spheres of Media Development. Women are no longer perceived as receivers of messages, but active participants in the whole process of information delivery. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 11 doctors for every 100,000 people in The Gambia. The maternal mortality rate is 540 for every 100,000.
State-run TV has aired broadcasts of Jammeh treating patients, raising concerns that patients will stop taking their ARVs. The UN representative in The Gambia was expelled from the country after raising doubts over the validity of Jammeh’s purported cure. A report by The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women found that customary practices and beliefs place women in an inferior role. It noted that Gambian laws on adoption, marriage, divorce, burial and devolution of property on death did not take into account the provision in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which provides protection from discrimination.
Furthermore, it noted that Islamic law governs 90 percent of the population, and it is discriminatory towards women, particularly with regards to marriage, divorce and inheritance. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) noted that, although policies exist to promote gender equality, disparities still exist. In the workforce, only 32 percent of formal sector employees are women, and less than 20 percent are in managerial positions.
Issue of Gender Based Violence and the Law
Violence against women take various forms, such as physical abuse, rape, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, early child marriage, domestic violence, girl child abuse, violence against street children. Violence of all sorts leaves a long-term psychological effect on the victim and hence the need to curb it to enhance women’s empowerment. Female genital mutilation/cutting is practiced in the country and the organization Women, Law and Development in Africa reported that prevalence is 80 percent. There is no specific law in place that prohibits the practice. However, several local NGOs are working to discourage it.
In the Gambia, Government, through the Department of Social Welfare and the law enforcement authorities, have continued efforts to support victims, enforce the existing laws and actively involve traditional institutions in the fight against all forms of violence. At the NGO level, the foundation for Research on Women’s Reproductive Health Productivity and Environment (BAFROW) and Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP) have developed programs to address the vices of FGM and harmful traditional practices. However, in spite of all the sensitization activities, FGM prevalence is still reported to be at 80 percent. What the intensive IEC efforts have achieved is an openness to discuss this hitherto sensitive issue at all levels of society. The effects of these sensitization programmes can also be seen in the greater awareness of women in their equality as women as demonstrated in a most recent conference of Gambian Women where several women said they will not allow any man to batter them for whatever reason. Addressing the plight of street children in The Gambia is on top of the agenda of the Department of Social Welfare. To alleviate problems of street children, the Islamic Relief Agency – ISRA has a programme to take these children off the streets and put them back to school.
Sexual Reproductive Health
HIV/AIDS is one of the most serious threats to the lives of people in The Gambia. The first confirmed case of HIV/AIDS in The Gambia was seen in May 1986. In 1980s -1990s, HIV 2 was the predominant strain, but HIV 1 has overtaken it in the country. The current estimated prevalence of HIV 1 is 1.2% and HIV 2 is 0.9% of the population. It is estimated that 15,000 people are currently (2004) living with the virus. The most common route of transmission of HIV in The Gambia is unprotected heterosexual intercourse (85%). By contrast, the segment of the populace hardest hit by HIV/AIDS is 15-49 year age bracket. The national response to HIV/AIDS is gaining momentum on all fronts, but the knowledge – behavior gap remains a cause of concern.
In 1998, a study on the prevalence of three sexually transmissible infections – herpes simplex type 2, chlamydia and syphilis, was conducted among young adults in a rural district (Western Division). According to the study, only 20% women and 53% men attended a clinic with a potential STI symptom, and 58% of women and 27% men had not spoken to anyone, including friends or relatives about their problem. Twenty-three percent of the subjects were identified as needing treatment either because of laboratory evidence or active/untreated syphilis or herpes.
The results showed that 23% of women and 5% of men had herpes simplex; 10% women and 2% men had an indication of syphilis infection; and 7% women and 1% men had clinical evidence of a combination of infections. Herpes and syphilis are both ulcerative STIs, which are known to be important cofactors in the transmission of HIV. Treatment for STIs is an integral part of general medical care provided at all secondary and tertiary levels of care in the country. Men and women have equal access to care across the country, but men’s health care seeking behavior seems to be better, compared to that of women.
Child malnutrition and micro-nutrient deficiency among women of child-bearing age are highly prevalent in The Gambia. A nationwide survey showed that 73% of the pregnant women were moderately anemic with 5% severely anemic. The national health policy places emphasis on women and child nutrition. Increasing access to food and improving the nutritional status of women has continued to attract the attention of the Government, NGOs and their partners. The formulation of a Nutrition Policy and the creation of a National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) to facilitate coordination of nutrition programmes in the country are developments that took place in the past five (5) years. Iron supplementation for women is provided through the national maternal and child health services throughout the country. Vitamin A supplementation for postpartum mothers (birth to 8 weeks) is also provided countrywide. The Baby Friendly Community Initiative, a community-based model for nutrition education, promotes positive
infant feeding practices. Government departments involved in nutrition promotion and feeding programmes include Agricultural Services, Health Services, Education and Community development. The Gambia Food and Nutrition Association (GAFNA) and a host of other NGOs are engaged in nutrition promotion, including food processing.
