Wassu Gambia Kafo, in partnership with UNFPA, ChildFund International, and with support from the Government of Catalonia, has commenced a five-day capacity-building training for trainers of the Gambia Police Force on safeguarding women and children.
The training, titled “Safeguarding Women and Children: The Role of Police in Ending SGBV, FGM/C, and Child Marriage,” aims to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and institutional response of police trainers in addressing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and harmful practices across The Gambia.
Over the five days, participants will engage in sessions covering:
Ethical conduct, accountability, and referral pathways
The training adopts a training-of-trainers approach, ensuring that knowledge and skills gained will be cascaded across police institutions nationwide, contributing to sustainable and systemic change.
This initiative reflects a shared commitment to strengthening law enforcement’s role in prevention, protection, and justice for survivors, while reinforcing trust between communities and the police.
Wassu Gambia Kafo remains committed to working with government institutions and partners to build a safer environment where women and children are protected from violence and harmful practices.
On February 2nd, 2026 Wassu Gambia Kafo, in collaboration with UNFPA, the Government of The Gambia, ChildFund, and with support from the Government of Catalonia, officially launched the UNFPA/Catalan-funded project aimed at ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia.
The launch was held as part of the commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, reaffirming national and international commitment to protecting the rights, health, and dignity of women and girls.
During the event, the Director of Wassu Gambia Kafo delivered a detailed presentation of the findings from their Gambia Police Force Training Needs Assessment. The presentation emphasized the importance of tailored trainings, community engagement, and coordinated action to maximize the impact of police trainings, thus ensuring that the Gambia Police Force is adequately equipped to address FGM and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
Key areas highlighted included:
The project aligns with national priorities and contributes to The Gambia’s commitment to ending FGM by 2030, in line with global goals. It calls for sustained investment, strong partnerships, and collective responsibility to ensure that no girl is left behind. Wassu Gambia Kafo remains committed to working with government institutions, communities, civil society, and development partners to advance a future where women and girls live free from violence and harmful practices.
Wassu Gambia Kafo joins along with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) in Sindola for a multi-day engagement aimed at strengthening the understanding of justice and rule of law services in The Gambia.
The engagement brought together key justice sector institutions, including the Judiciary, the Ministry of Justice, and the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (NAATIP), alongside civil society actors, to discuss access to justice, courtroom procedures, ethical conduct, human rights standards, and community participation in the justice delivery process.
Participants benefited from practical sessions on judicial structures, court processes, anti-trafficking frameworks, and responsible reporting, including a mock trial exercise that enhanced hands-on understanding of legal proceedings.
Through this initiative, Wassu Gambia Kafo, along with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), reinforced their commitment to promoting inclusive, rights-based justice, strengthening collaboration between institutions and communities, and empowering civil society actors to support accountability and access to justice, particularly for women, youth, and vulnerable groups.
School Trainings on FGM in Casamance (Senegal)
Over the weekend, Wassu Gambia Kafo, in collaboration with Kakolum, conducted school-based trainings on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) inDiannah and Abene, Casamance (Senegal).
The sessions engaged students and educators in open discussions on FGM, its types, prevalence, and health consequences. These trainings form part of ongoing efforts to empower young people with knowledge on harmful traditional practices.
📍Diannah & Abene, Casamance (Senegal)
#WassuGambiaKafo #Kakolum #SchoolTrainings #Casamance #Diannah #Abene #EndFGM #GirlsRight
On Wednesday, December 10, the Technical Working Group of the Gambia Police Force received Wassu Kafo Gambia as consultants following the completion of a comprehensive Training Needs Assessment (TNA) for the institution.
Supported by UNFPA, the session was presided over by Dr. Aissatou Ba, Director of Wassu Kafo Gambia, who delivered an in-depth presentation of the assessment findings.
The TNA was conducted by Wassu, together with a dedicated team from the Gambia Police Force, across several key regions, including:
📍 Upper River Region
📍 Lower River Region
📍 Kanifing Municipality
📍 West Coast Region
This initiative marks a significant milestone in strengthening the capacity of law enforcement officers in responding to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and safeguarding the rights and well-being of communities throughout The Gambia.
Wassu Gambia Kafo, in collaboration with the Barcelona City Council and local health providers, has conducted a training session on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other forms of sexual violence at the Badalona Sexual and Reproductive Care Centre in Barcelona province.
A total of 31 professionals participated in the training — part of the Barcelona FGM Prevention and Care Programmed, which supports capacity building for healthcare and social service professionals working with sub-Saharan migrant communities.
Together, we continue strengthening the link between research, training, and community impact to protect women and girls. 💜
🔗 www.wassu-gambia-kafo.org
https://fatunetwork.net/from-90-to-73-gambias-slow-battle-against-female-genital-mutilation-reveals-persistent-challenges/
The Gambian Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare’s recent statement on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) highlights a concerning reality: despite over a decade of concentrated efforts, progress in eliminating the practice remains gradual. While any reduction is significant, the statistics reveal a stubborn persistence of this harmful tradition.
“We have registered a reduction of the FGM prevalence rate from 90% in 2009 to 76% in 2013 and further reduction to 73% currently,” the Minister reported, revealing that nearly three-quarters of the female population still faces this human rights violation. This represents just a 17% decrease over a 15-year period, averaging roughly 1% per year.
Despite the implementation of the Women’s Amendment Act in 2015, which explicitly criminalizes FGM, the practice continues to maintain a strong foothold in Gambian society. The Minister acknowledged ongoing resistance to change, noting that “We are happy that this law is maintained despite attempts for a pushback in 2023 and 2024,” suggesting active opposition to anti-FGM legislation.
The Minister emphasized that FGM remains “one of the most extreme violations of the rights of women and girls,” causing “lifelong physical, psychological, and emotional suffering.” Yet, deeply rooted cultural practices continue to challenge elimination efforts, particularly at the community level where the Minister admits “the real change happens.”
While the government celebrates the engagement of youth in anti-FGM advocacy and continues its community outreach programs, the slow rate of decline raises questions about the effectiveness of current strategies. The country’s commitment to eliminating FGM by 2030, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals, appears increasingly ambitious given the current pace of change.
The Minister’s call for “collective efforts of all, with the active participation of communities, religious leaders, traditional leaders, teachers, health workers, and families” underscores the complexity of the challenge. However, with only a 3% reduction between 2013 and 2025, the battle against FGM in The Gambia appears to be facing significant cultural and social barriers that existing approaches have yet to effectively address.
Despite these challenges, the government maintains its commitment to elimination efforts, with the Minister asserting, “We have come a long way and will never relent, but rather we will consolidate on the gains registered and scale up our efforts.” However, the data suggests that without significant changes to current strategies, The Gambia’s goal of zero tolerance for FGM may remain elusive for generations to come.
Wassu Gambia Kafo successfully completed a three days (3) training of Health Students of SRN-Banjul on Female Genital Mutilation. The training was captivating and resourceful and provided adequate knowledge to students on FGM for their future careers. #unite2endfgm
https://standard.gm/network-holds-retreat-to-combat-fgm/
The Network Against Gender-Based Violence (NGBV) in collaboration with UNFPA on Wednesday organised a two-day retreat for civil society organisations, aimed at developing a five-year strategy to enhance advocacy efforts and combat female genital mutilation in The Gambia.
Held at Dunas Boutique Hotel in Kotu, the event brought together key stakeholders to address this pressing issue.
The retreat served as a platform for CSOs, policymakers, activists, and other partners to collaborate on creating a comprehensive roadmap that tackles the cultural, social, and legal aspects of FGM. Through intensive discussions and planning, participants explored innovative ways to strengthen advocacy efforts. and ensure long-term progress in the fight against FGM.
The retreat focused on crafting a strategic framework that aligns with both national and international goals for gender equality and human rights.
The key objectives of the retreat are to strengthen civil society intervention against harmful traditional practices in The Gambia with a specific focus on FGM/C and also to increase the knowledge of civil society organisations and networks on various forms of FGM and impacts on the survivors.
Fallu Sowe, national coordinator of NGBV, emphasised the importance of unity and collective action.
He said 2024 was a challenging year for the network as it has to deal with difficult task of ensuring that the law banning FGM in The Gambia is maintained. “But the struggle continues because, as we speak, our opponents are at the supreme court trying to overturn our achievement to ensure that the law is declared unconstitutional,” he said.
Sow disclosed that the government has started the process of developing a national strategy plan to combat FGM.
“That strategy is going to serve as a stepping stone, and we will endeavour to ensure that whatever strategy is going to be prepared by civil society aligns with the government’s strategy,” he said.
Dr Ipoade Omilaju, the Gender Promoting Initiative (GPI) project head, expressed his office’s commitment to working closely with other projects to combat FGM. He said About 230 million women and girls are affected by FGM globally.
“Africa alone contributes 62% of this population.”
https://www.voicegambia.com/2024/12/13/futile-dreams-how-fgm-impeded-girls-education-in-the-gambia/
Education is a priority for many girls but the majority of them in one way or another end up becoming victims of so many societal issues, including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Mama Fatty (not her real name) is a living testament to a failed education due to FGM. Speaking to this medium, Mama said her grandmother was among the women who influenced her family and others to circumcise their children. She said her mother is an anti-FGM supporter and always tried to protect her girls. But her grandmother has other plans in mind.
“My younger sister and I were under the protection of my mother until she traveled to the United Kingdom. One month of her stay in the UK, my grandmother took us to the circumciser and we were circumcised,” she said as tears started to roll down her cheeks.
“This happened during my grade four third term examinations, and because of this, I could not continue the examination. The following academic year, I was advised to repeat grade four. It was difficult for me, especially seeing my peers in the next class ahead of me. Although I coped and went back to grade four, months later, I started having pain in my vulva and missing classes whenever the pain started. Gradually I realized that my days in school were minimal and my grandmother told me to stay home until I got healed to go back to school. This marked the end of my educational career.”
Mama’s predicament isn’t unique. Another survivor, Fatou Danso (not her real name), said her memories of FGM are still vivid as the challenges she grappled with after undergoing the practice forced her to quit school.
“I was circumcised at the age of 11, and this was after a heated push and pull between my father and my grandparents. My father’s culture firmly believes in female circumcision but with resistance from my grandparents on my mother’s side, they could not go ahead with the practice. This was the case until my grandfather passed away, and this topic was raised again. This time, they succeeded. I was in grade 5 then, and this experience changed my life. I could not tell any of my friends about what happened to me as it seemed strange and embarrassing to explain.
“I grew from a bold and sharp pupil to a quiet and timid girl. My grades dropped, and my mom was worried but there was nothing she could do. I stayed home for months and did not feel the same anymore because I was traumatized and always lost concentration during classes. So, my mother took me to the village for treatment and I never returned home to continue my schooling.”
Low sensitization as an issue
The National Coordinator of the Network against Gender-Based Violence (NGBV), Fallu Sowe, pointed out that FGM affects the reproductive health of the girl-child particularly type II and III which are more prevalent in The Gambia. This, he said, can make adolescent girls miss classes due to reproductive health problems.
“The level of sensitization on the impact of FGM on the education of girls is very low because many people don’t even know that there is a relation between the effects of FGM and the education of girls,” he said.
Activist Sowe disclosed that many survivors of FGM were seriously re-traumatized by FGM discussion before the ban was maintained which could have a psychological impact on them. In turn, he said this can affect their level of attention in class during lessons.
But that’s not the only issue. The Gambian rights activist said girls from non-practicing cultures may be affected because their peers and teachers from practicing cultures may be calling them names like “Solima”—a Mandinka word used against an uncircumcised person.
“This is insulting to them and can prevent some girls from going to school to avoid the embarrassment and bullying by their peers,” he explained.
Teachers’ observations
Matis Bass, a teacher with over a decade of experience, said throughout his experience in the field of teaching, FGM has caused a lot of havoc on female students.
“FGM causes frequent absenteeism which can lead to poor performance of the child because if you don’t attend school regularly it will affect your classes and when exams come your performance will be affected.
“It also causes school dropouts due to lack of concentration, pain, and poor performance. They also lack self-esteem because they are always silent even when speaking on other subject matters. So it’s like when they are cut, it reduces them to nothing,” he said.
Another teacher, Isatou DH Camara, added that FGM can hinder and even end school-going girls’ education due to the snags suffered by girls following the practice. She said these snags include health issues they face during the process of cutting such as pain and distress they encounter throughout the process.
“Students that undergo this practice can miss school for a couple of months (3 to 4 months) for complete healing to take place. In my experience of being a teacher, there were several cases I encountered where those students missed schools for 3 months due to FGM,” she said.
According to the Orchid Project report titled Intersection Between Female Genital Cutting (FGC) and Education published in July 2021, FGC often acts as a barrier to girls’ education, particularly when it serves as a precursor for child marriage and it can also lead to school dropouts because of health consequences and prolonged absences related to cutting.
“At the same time, education is often considered key to helping girls escape FGC and as a basis for a successful strategy for communities to abandon the practice. The limited evidence on the intersection between education and female genital cutting, however, points to the need for more research and investigation to better understand the linkages,” the report added.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that over 230 million women and girls around the world are victims of FGM, of which 144 million victims live in Africa. Human rights organizations, including the United Nations, have urged countries to end FGM practices for the last two decades.
According to a recent survey (name of the survey), 73% of women in The Gambia have undergone FGM with 65% of those being under the age of five. The practice is usually conducted by older women in society.
Conflict with national and international laws
Human Rights Lawyer, Anna Njie, said FGM-related health and psychological issues can lead to school absenteeism and hinder educational performance. She said this is in conflict with The Education Act 2004 and Article 10 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which promotes equal access to education for all girls.
“The trauma and health complications from FGM can impact a girl’s ability to concentrate and succeed in school, thereby impeding the fulfillment of educational rights as outlined in national and international laws,” she said.
According to her, FGM is addressed under The Gambia’s 1997 Constitution, the Women’s Act 2010 (as amended in 2015), and international conventions such as the Maputo Protocol (Article 5) and CEDAW (Article 2), which criminalize harmful practices and ensure protection against violations.
“The prohibition of degrading treatment is enshrined in Section 21 of The Gambia’s Constitution and Article 4 of the Maputo Protocol, which aligns with the global standard for respecting human dignity. The Women’s Act 2010, along with the Maputo Protocol (Article 5) and CEDAW provide legal frameworks for accountability and justice for victims of FGM,” she said.
The rights lawyer said the Women’s Act 2010 and related laws including the Maputo Protocol (Article 5) and CEDAW (Article 2) should be among the measures put in place to ensure women and girls are fully protected, especially school-going girls.
She also clamored for the development and implementation of educational campaigns to raise awareness about FGM and its legal consequences, in line with the Gender and Women’s Empowerment Policy and international standards.
“Provide comprehensive support services for FGM survivors, including healthcare and psychological support, as advocated by the Public Health Act and Article 14 of the Maputo Protocol.
“Integrate FGM prevention and response strategies into school policies and curricula, ensuring safe environments for affected students and adhering to the principles outlined in CEDAW (Article 10).
“Equip law enforcement and judicial personnel with training to handle FGM cases effectively, respecting legal standards set by national laws and international conventions,” she pointed out.
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