By Binta Jaiteh
Training university students, according toEbrima Fadera, will assist in the fight against female genital mutilation/cutting and other harmful violence against women.
Ebrima Fadera, President of Shine Light in Girls Education, in an interview with this reporter during a daylong training organised for the university students in collaboration with the ECOMANSA to train students on dangers of FM/C and gender based-violence held at the UTG recently.
The training was geared towards creating awareness about the issue among University students.
Mr. Fadera emphasized that FM/C has been a serious challenge for some time in the Gambia and the world at large, noting that its organization deemed it necessary that UTG students are the agent of change collaborating with them would definitely make the organization achieve its goals.
However, he said Shine Light is a registered charitable organization supporting girls in providing their materials and women in entrepreneurship that they believe the laws cannot change the mindset of people in terms of FM/C, it is through sensitization and serious dialogue.
Alasana Gitteh, Lecturer at the University of the Gambia and the resource person for the training said because of the clumsy and un-hygienic conditions under which FGM is usually performed, complications are frequent and numerous and can be classified in the order in which they are likely to occur.
He stated that concerning other complications in recent years and since the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the likelihood of transmission of HIV has become added to the long list of complications associated with female genital mutilation.
“The fact that FGM is mainly carried out by untrained traditional women does not justify the medicalization of FGM and Health workers need to be trained and given skills to handle victims of FGM; counseling, medical and surgical treatment. Eradicating FGM needs to be a priority for every country and programs aimed at eradicating FGM should ensure community participation and involvement,” He said
On his part, Ebrima Touray, information and Public Relation Officer of Economics Management, Sciences Students Association (ECOMANSA) highlighted the importance of the training saying is a collaboration between the two Associations to help students with issues of FM/C and some of the violations they face in the society and through the training, it will help the students to stand for the voice of the people.
