Banjul, 23rd March 2025: As part of the events marking the 69th session of the Commission on Women (CSW69), Gender, Children and Social Welfare Minister Hon. Fatou Kinteh continued to engage in bilateral meetings with development partners. The minister and her delegation met with the UNICEF leadership, that was represented by Associate Director of Gender Equality, Ms. Lauren Rumble. Ms. Rumble welcomed the delegation and praised the Ministry for its bravery and courage in protecting children’s rights, particularly by upholding the Women Amendment Act of 2015.
In her briefing, Hon. Minister Kinteh noted that the bilateral meeting reflected The Gambia’s continuous commitment to children’s rights. She informed that the ministry had submitted the CRC and presented its report to the Council in Geneva. The CRC’s concluding recommendations have been issued, and the Ministry aims to collaborate with UNICEF to implement the roadmap.
Hon. Minister Kinteh also shared the ministry’s new programme priority for 2025, Menstrual Hygiene, expressing a desire for partnership with UNICEF and MoBSE. In addition to ongoing collaboration with UNICEF, Menstrual Hygiene will be a key focus moving forward. She expressed appreciation for UNICEF’s support since the Ministry’s establishment in 2019, citing initiatives such as the Strategic and Investment Plan 2020–2025, the GMIS platform, the UN Volunteer Programme, the CSOs Government Coalition, the FGM/C Consolidated Work Plan, and Birth Registration. She concluded by thanking UNICEF for its continued support in reviewing the Children Act of 2005.
Mr. Alieu Njie, Secretary General and Secretary to Cabinet; and The Gambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mr. Lamin Dibba, reiterated the Government’s ongoing commitment to children’s rights and called for strengthened communication and coordination with UN agencies. They emphasised the need to sustain efforts in keeping girls in school and raising awareness on combating the FGM/C pushback.
Deputy Permanent Secretary Kajali Sonko and Ms. Harriet Bass, Child Protection Officer, requested the expansion of the GMIS platform to enhance data collection and management. They also advocated for appointing a UN Volunteer to support the Ministry’s capacity, integrating social work training at the University of The Gambia, expanding shelters for children in rural areas, addressing child labour, and tackling child marriage and birth registration issues. Furthermore, the delegation called for interventions to support children in conflict with the law.
Additionally, the delegation requested support for a comprehensive study to identify the contributing factors behind the low completion rates among girls transitioning from primary to secondary and university education. The findings would help the government develop targeted strategies and policies to improve girls’ educational retention and completion rates.
Ms. Lauren Rumble assured the delegation that UNICEF considers these submissions priorities for its support to The Gambia and pledged to communicate them to the Country Office. She noted that anecdotal evidence suggests poverty, child marriage, and caretaking responsibilities contribute to girls’ low transition rates from secondary to university education. A UNICEF study in The Gambia revealed that only 2% of girls have digital skills.
Regarding Menstrual Hygiene, the MICS 2025 module will provide new data alongside Water and Sanitation (WASH) data, forming a baseline for implementing the Menstrual Hygiene program. However, concerns were raised about local production standards for menstrual materials, balancing choices between reusable and disposable pads, ensuring sustainability, and creating viable business models beyond initial funding.
Ms. Vero Kamanga-Njikho, Senior Adviser for Child Protection and Global Coordinator for Ending Child Marriage and FGM Programs, advocated for harmonizing and integrating FGM/C efforts with the National Action Plan (NAP) on Ending Child Marriage. She assured the delegation of catalytic funding support and commended The Gambia for presenting its CRC report and integrating the recommendations into actionable programs.
By Sarjo M Camara
