By Fatou Dahaba
On Saturday, November 30, the Network Against Gender-Based Violence officially launched the 16-Day Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Caravan Campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the critical issue of gender-based violence and promote advocacy for survivors.
Throughout the 16 days, various activities and events will be organized to engage the community, educate the public, and encourage active participation in the fight against gender-based violence. The caravan will travel through different neighborhoods, fostering dialogue and inspiring collective action to create a safer environment for everyone.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global movement that takes place annually from November 25 to December 10. This period serves as a time for reflection, action, and a renewed commitment to ending the violence that countless individuals, especially women and girls, experience daily.
It is also an opportunity to revitalize commitments and call for accountability and action from decision-makers as the world approaches the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025 – a visionary blueprint for achieving gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights everywhere.
Matida Comma, Acting Board Chairperson of NGBV, said Gender-based violence is a stark reality for millions of individuals, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or social status.
She said: “It is embedded in cultures, communities, and systems; whether it is domestic violence, sexual assault, child marriage, female genital mutilation, human trafficking, or harassment, it affects people in ways that are not always visible but profoundly destructive.”
She highlights the importance of this year’s theme, “From Awareness to Action! Uniting Communities to End Gender-Based Violence,” which signifies calls to do more than just acknowledge the existence of gender-based violence. She emphasizes the need for immediate, concrete action, including raising awareness of the issue, actively confronting it, and ensuring that communities, institutions, and governments take responsibility.
For Matida, awareness and education alone are not enough. ‘We must also hold perpetrators accountable. This is where strong legal frameworks and enforcement become essential. Our governments, institutions, and communities must ensure that laws protecting individuals from gender-based violence are not only in place but are implemented with the seriousness they deserve. Survivors must have access to justice, and perpetrators must face the consequences of their actions.”
She said survivors should be provided with support to rebuild their lives, be it shelter, counseling, medical care, or legal aid, and that they should be willing to create and expand resources that can provide them with hope and tools for recovery, regain autonomy, heal, and thrive.
‘Survivors of gender-based violence have endured unimaginable pain, and far too many of them remain invisible in the shadows. Our task is to bring their experiences into the light and unite communities not to shame or sensationalize, but to create a safe space for them to speak, heal, and reclaim their lives.’
She called on the state to hold perpetrators accountable by strengthening the law enforcement and justice sectors, including through gender-responsive policing.
Satang Dumbuya, Advocacy and Campaign Officer of NGBV, said the country’s toll-free numbers are 199 and 1313, and research shows that SGBV is increasing in the Gambia. ‘And they believe that to address a problem, they have to know the root causes, which is the communities they live in, and that’s is why they’re targeting the communities to unit and empower them to stand against sexual and gender-based violence.’
She stated that the current data indicates that women and girls are not the only victims; men are also affected. They have received reports of boys being raped by individuals close to them and of men being physically battered by their wives.
“To end sexual and gender-based violence requires collective efforts. We want to create a free and fair environment for both men and women to thrive, treated equally at workplaces, schools, and other opportunities that concern them,’ she said.
As part of the celebration, the network will launch a caravan focused on the CRR North and West Coast Region, as data has indicated that these two areas have the highest incidence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). The targeted communities include schools, lupus groups, and women’s organizations, aiming to amplify their voices in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV). Authorities will commit to taking concrete actions to address this issue.
