A consortium entitled "Women Won’t Wait", set up to effectively advocate for the right policies to  respect, protect and fulfil the rights of women and girls in The Gambia, was last Tuesday launched at the Tango conference Hall, in Bakau Newtown.

The ceremony saw yet another launching of a book entitled "Women and Islam", authored by Dr Omar Jah (Junior), Head of the Department of Arts, Humanitaties and Language at the University of The Gambia.

The steering commitee of this  new  consortium consists of Action Aid The Gambia (AATG), Gambia Family Planning Association (GFPA), Gambia Red Cross Soceity (GRCS), Worldview The Gambia (WTG), Trust Agency Against for Rural Development (TARUD), Simma Vocational Training Centre, MUTAPOLA, UNPFA and UNHCR.

Speaking at the ceremony, Amadou Taal, Board chairman of Worldview -The Gambia, welcomed the new initiative, noting that the objectives of the consortium is to protect the rights of women and girls in the country.

According to him, this was all made possible after a longstanding partnership between Worldview The Gambia and other stakeholders in recognising violence against women and girls.

"We live in a society that is very religious. So if we understand what our religions say about women, nobody would incite violence against them. Women are accorded a high position in our religion as they our mothers, sisters and daughters," he said.

In her launching remarks, Dr Kujeh Manneh, country director of Action Aid -The Gambia (AATG), said her organisation funded a study on Women and Islam that was commissioned to highlight the importance of women in our society and to create awareness on the position of women in Islam.

"Violence against women and girls is a problem that affects all nations and societies and the pandemic is on the increase. Around the world, women face an epidemic of violence in different spheres of life from different perpetrators and in different situations. Women experience violence in their homes, communities, schools, streets, markets, police stations, and hospitals," she said.

Dr Manneh observed that there is overwhelming evidence to show that violence against women and girls is a big contributor to death and illness among women as well as to a host of human rights abuses.

According to her, in 2006, Action Aid The Gambia, commissioned a  study on violence against women in The Gambia, and the findings of the study revealed that socio-cultural factors are responsible for violence against women and girls.

"A culture of violence against women and girls exist in homes, in schools and in larger communities. This culture is helped by gender inequality and unequal power relations between men and women which has affected the way people see and predict the name violence," she said.

For his part, Dr Omar Jah (Jr), Head of the department of Arts and Humanities at the University of The Gambia and the author of the book "Women and Islam", said the study is indicative of the fact that every generation faces challenges and issues peculiar to them, noting that as a result, the 21st century generation is facing post modern globalization as peculiar opportunities and challenges.

"The study is also to demonstrate that in every legal, political or sociological complication at any age, Islam can give proper solution if handled properly based on pure Islamic world views and agenda. In the issue of gender cross-cutting and to demonstate the Islamic perception to the gender discourse, a refined handling of the Quranic and the Sunni injunction is needed to cause a proper orientation of attitudes and policies," he said.

Other speakers at the ceremony included Foday Baldeh, the editor of the book, Fatou Gaye, and Ousman Yarbo, director of Tango, who also delivered the vote of thanks.