As we celebrate International Women’s Day in 2023, it is important to acknowledge the progress that The Gambia has made in terms of technological access. In 2007, less than two out of every ten Gambians owned a mobile phone, and only two percent of individuals had access to computers, with just one percent having access to internet facilities.   However, as of 2021, there has been a significant increase in access to technology. The majority of Gambians now live in areas with mobile network coverage and own a mobile phone. Additionally, a significant percentage of the population now has access to the internet. According to the 2019 government Demographic and Health Survey, seven out of every ten Gambians now use the internet daily.   Despite these gains, women in The Gambia still face significant barriers to accessing technology and digital services, with men being more likely to own mobile phones and have access to the internet.   For instance, the 2021 Gambia Afrobarometer survey shows that although most Gambians have a mobile phone, there are 10% more men than women who own mobile phones. Moreover, there are fewer women (11%) that own computers than there are men (17%), which has contributed to 5% more men having access to the internet. This disparity also affects women’s access to news and information on social media, with 48% of men compared to 39% of women reporting that they use the internet every day.   A more detailed analysis of the data shows that the gender gap in technological access is influenced by several factors, including socioeconomic status and educational attainment. Women in The Gambia are more likely to be living in poverty than men, which limits their ability to purchase and use technology. Additionally, women are less likely to have received formal education than men, which can limit their digital literacy and ability to use technology effectively.   Closing the gender gap in technological access is critical for empowering women and achieving gender equality in The Gambia. To address this issue, the United Nations (UN) is working closely with the Gambian government to implement several interventions. These interventions include providing women with digital literacy training, improving access to affordable and gender-responsive technology, and promoting women's entrepreneurship in the technology sector.   For example, UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Health and the government of Italy supporting the digitalization of birth and civil registration since many children in The Gambia do not have birth certificates. According to the 2019 government Demographic and Health Survey, 53% of Gambian children under the age of five do not have birth certificates. Without proper documentation, these children may be denied access to education and opportunities that could improve their lives.   Digitalizing birth and civil registration can provide them with the necessary documentation to be protected from harm and have a chance to go to school and have a better future.   In addition, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is helping reduce gender inequality in access to technology in The Gambia by supporting the Department of Community Development to use computers and technology to deliver its services. Women and girls often face social and cultural barriers that limit their access to education, healthcare, and other services, which can be further compounded by a lack of access to digital technologies.   By using computers and technology to deliver services, the Department of Community Development can help overcome these barriers and ensure that women have equal access to the support and resources they need to stay safe, healthy, and supported.    Moreover, the use of technology can help reach women in remote or underserved areas who may face additional challenges in accessing services due to distance, transportation, or other factors. This can help promote greater inclusion and participation of women in social and economic development, thereby contributing to efforts to reduce gender inequality in access to technology.   Furthermore, the ILO, in partnership with the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), launched a digital platform that provides women entrepreneurs with digital tools and resources to help them formalize their businesses and access financial services.   Similarly, the UNCDF is working with the Women Advisory Business Group to increase financial inclusion by developing mobile phone apps to help women with financial education.   These mobile apps and digital platforms provide women with convenient and accessible tools to manage their finances. They also improve their ability to access credit, or save money. This promotes greater financial literacy, empowers women, and enables them to participate more fully in economic activities.   By focusing on the specific needs and challenges women face, these services help address gender-specific barriers to financial inclusion, such as limited access to formal banking services or social and cultural norms that discourage women from engaging in financial activities.   A gender gap in technological access will result in missed opportunities and create new forms of inequality, which could lead to significant economic losses in the long run.   Therefore, we must ensure that all genders have equal access to technology and the opportunities it affords. This includes increasing access to computers, the internet, and mobile phones for women, particularly in rural areas, and ensuring that women have the skills and knowledge to use these technologies to their fullest potential.   We must also challenge the gender stereotypes that persist in the technology sector by promoting diversity and inclusivity and encouraging women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.   As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, let us choose to challenge these inequalities and advocate for increased access to technology for all genders.   By doing so, we can ensure that women have the necessary tools and resources to participate fully in society and contribute to the country’s economic growth and social fabric.  

Ndeye Rose Sarr When a girl starts to menstruate, that's when the problems usually start. From the age of 10, she begins to be looked at as a potential bride for an older man. And if she has not yet undergone FGM, there will be those in her community who will want to make sure that she does. The rate of FGM in The Gambia is around 76 per cent in the 14 to 49 year age range, and about 51 per cent for girls up to the age of 14. That means that, on average, every other young girl you see in The Gambia has undergone this mutilation, which involves altering their genitals by cutting the clitoris or labia. This leads to health consequences later in life. When they give birth, they may encounter complications, and the chances of a stillbirth are higher. If the baby survives, they may end up with obstetric fistula, holes that develop between the vagina and the bladder, that make women urinate when they sit. This can lead women being excluded from their communities, and their husbands to leave them. ‘Women are the ones practicing FGM’ Women are the ones practicing FGM. It is usually a grandmother, the keeper of the tradition in the family. Gambians living abroad will even bring back their children to be subjected to FGM. And men will tell you that this is a “women’s thing.” What we are looking to do is engage men and boys. We are in a society where decision makers are men; they are husbands, traditional leaders, religious leaders who will indicate what to do and what not to do in society. We want every young man in this country, all the men, whether they are fathers, husbands or traditional leaders in their community, to say no to the practice. We have studies that show that, in countries where men have become involved, the rates have gone down.   UN News: How long, realistically, will it be before we can see the end of FGM in this country? Ndeye Rose Sarr: FGM has actually been illegal since 2015. However, only two cases have been brought to justice since then, with no convictions. There has to be enforcement of the law. And the willingness of the government to continue prosecuting and also helping us with increasing awareness of the problem is key. We also need to engage at a community level. Rites of passage for girls are important, but we don't have to go to the extreme of female genital mutilation. We can find innovative ways to create rites of passage, just as it is boys in this part of the world. It doesn't have to be harmful, and it doesn't have to be something that invades the bodily autonomy of the person. Currently, it is even carried out on babies; you can't tell me that a baby girl knows what she's going through, and is able to consent. UN News: Period poverty is also widespread. What can be done to address it? Rose Ndeye Sarr: Yes, period poverty is an issue across The Gambia, but it’s acute in rural areas, where women are less likely to have access to sanitary pads. Period poverty leads to girls skipping school for around five days every month because, if they don’t have access to adequate menstrual products, they worry about staining their clothes, and being shamed; that’s between 40 and 50 days in a school year. Boys will therefore have an advantage because they will be attending school more often than the girls, who are more likely to drop out of education. So, we developed a project in Basse, in the Upper River Region, to produce recyclable sanitary pads. This is a way of empowering young women in the community, who now have a secure job, learning new skills, and improving the menstrual hygiene of women and girls. We go to schools to distribute the pads and, when we’re there, we take the opportunity to talk about bodily autonomy, and comprehensive health education, so that the girls know more about their bodies, what is happening to them, what is okay, what is not okay. I think we are making a difference in Basse. We need to understand that there are girls in this world who don't have access to menstrual health and hygiene and who don't have access to menstrual products when they have their menstruation. And we need to put an end to that.  

In the heart of The Gambia, an intrepid young woman called Fatou Juka Darbor is blazing a trail for women fuelled by her fiery passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Her remarkable journey led her to co-found the country’s first and only 3D printing company - Make 3D Company Limited - in 2019, breaking boundaries and inspiring future generations. Fascinated by machines from a young age, Juka was determined to uncover their inner workings, taking apart radios and calculators with unbridled curiosity. “I always wanted to know what makes things work,” she  says. The young entrepreneur’s drive to build a career in STEM propelled her to overcome the challenges women often face in this male-dominated sector, brushing conventional norms aside. “In The Gambia, women were often discouraged from pursuing careers in STEM, as it was seen as a male-dominated field,” she says with a laugh. Her unwavering dedication made her the only woman in her mechanical engineering class at the Gambia Technical Training Institute. Reflecting on this journey, she says: “My experiences of the stigma attached to being ‘the woman’ in a male-dominated space made me realize how lucky I was to have parents that supported my decision to pursue sciences.” The fact that a young woman like me is co-running this business and growing it so quickly shows how capable Gambian women are if given the chance and the support Juka’s determination culminated in a prestigious role as a mechanical engineer at the Gambia National Petroleum Company. Her ambitions, however, continued to soar. In 2019, she partnered with Silvestr Tkáč, a tech enthusiast, to create Make 3D Company Limited, introducing the revolutionary world of 3D printing to The Gambia.  “The fact that a young woman like me is co-running this business and growing it so quickly shows how capable Gambian women are if given the chance and the support,” Juka says. Her company has been a catalyst for change, improving the lives of Gambians. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, her Make 3D Company Limited collaborated with the Gambian Medical Research Council Unit (MRCG) to create protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers. Partnering with UN This innovative approach garnered partnerships with the United Nations through the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), manufacturing over 8,000 face shields for the country’s primary referral hospital. Additionally, Juka’s company has developed prosthetic limb prototypes, offering affordable solutions and newfound hope to those who have lost their limbs due to accidents, diseases, or conflicts. Juka’s steadfast commitment and resolve have garnered her numerous accolades, solidifying her status as a pioneer in her field. Her message to young girls is unequivocal: “I hope I inspire young girls in Dumbutou and Basse to believe that they can be anything they dream of being. No career is specifically meant for men only. You can be whatever you want to be if you believe in yourself, even if no one does.” The UN in The Gambia is supporting initiatives to bridge the gender disparity gap in STEM. Through events such as the ‘UN Women and Girls in Science Day,’ the UN raises awareness about the obstacles women and girls face in STEM and offers capacity-building support to women-owned businesses. Juka’s uplifting tale of courage and resilience amidst adversity is a potent reminder that, given the right opportunities and support, women can excel in STEM fields and leave a lasting, positive impact on their communities. Read the original article on Africa Renewal   

Ndeye Rose Sarr When a girl starts to menstruate, that's when the problems usually start. From the age of 10, she begins to be looked at as a potential bride for an older man. And if she has not yet undergone FGM, there will be those in her community who will want to make sure that she does. The rate of FGM in The Gambia is around 76 per cent in the 14 to 49 year age range, and about 51 per cent for girls up to the age of 14. That means that, on average, every other young girl you see in The Gambia has undergone this mutilation, which involves altering their genitals by cutting the clitoris or labia. This leads to health consequences later in life. When they give birth, they may encounter complications, and the chances of a stillbirth are higher. If the baby survives, they may end up with obstetric fistula, holes that develop between the vagina and the bladder, that make women urinate when they sit. This can lead women being excluded from their communities, and their husbands to leave them. ‘Women are the ones practicing FGM’ Women are the ones practicing FGM. It is usually a grandmother, the keeper of the tradition in the family. Gambians living abroad will even bring back their children to be subjected to FGM. And men will tell you that this is a “women’s thing.” What we are looking to do is engage men and boys. We are in a society where decision makers are men; they are husbands, traditional leaders, religious leaders who will indicate what to do and what not to do in society. We want every young man in this country, all the men, whether they are fathers, husbands or traditional leaders in their community, to say no to the practice. We have studies that show that, in countries where men have become involved, the rates have gone down. UN News: How long, realistically, will it be before we can see the end of FGM in this country? Ndeye Rose Sarr: FGM has actually been illegal since 2015. However, only two cases have been brought to justice since then, with no convictions. There has to be enforcement of the law. And the willingness of the government to continue prosecuting and also helping us with increasing awareness of the problem is key. We also need to engage at a community level. Rites of passage for girls are important, but we don't have to go to the extreme of female genital mutilation. We can find innovative ways to create rites of passage, just as it is boys in this part of the world. It doesn't have to be harmful, and it doesn't have to be something that invades the bodily autonomy of the person. Currently, it is even carried out on babies; you can't tell me that a baby girl knows what she's going through, and is able to consent. UN News: Period poverty is also widespread. What can be done to address it? Rose Ndeye Sarr: Yes, period poverty is an issue across The Gambia, but it’s acute in rural areas, where women are less likely to have access to sanitary pads. Period poverty leads to girls skipping school for around five days every month because, if they don’t have access to adequate menstrual products, they worry about staining their clothes, and being shamed; that’s between 40 and 50 days in a school year. Boys will therefore have an advantage because they will be attending school more often than the girls, who are more likely to drop out of education. So, we developed a project in Basse, in the Upper River Region, to produce recyclable sanitary pads. This is a way of empowering young women in the community, who now have a secure job, learning new skills, and improving the menstrual hygiene of women and girls. We go to schools to distribute the pads and, when we’re there, we take the opportunity to talk about bodily autonomy, and comprehensive health education, so that the girls know more about their bodies, what is happening to them, what is okay, what is not okay. I think we are making a difference in Basse. We need to understand that there are girls in this world who don't have access to menstrual health and hygiene and who don't have access to menstrual products when they have their menstruation. And we need to put an end to that.