By Harry Bah
The Gambia Government, led by the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare, on June 11th launched the Sahel Women Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Plus (SWEDD+) project at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre.
The launch ceremony as attended by high-ranking government officials and key stakeholders, including the Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia, First Lady Fatoumata Bah Barrow, the Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare, a World Bank representative, Permanent Secretaries, members of the National Assembly, the National Women’s Council, governors, among others.
Presiding over the launching, the Vice President of the Republic, His Excellency Mohammed BS Jallow, spoke about the significance of empowering women and harnessing the demographic dividend. “The era of leaving girls behind is over “, he declared, emphasizing the Government’s commitment and efforts to keep girls in school.
He thanked stakeholders involved in the project, such as UNFPA, UNICEF, and the National Coordinating team, for their efforts.
The First Lady, Fatoumata Bah Barrow, affirmed her support and commitment to the SWEDD+ project, indicating that this is in line with her work.
The Country Representative of UNFPA commended the efforts of The Gambia on the Sahel agenda. She stated. “This is more than a development initiative; it is a missionary commitment by the governments across the Sahel to unlock the immense potential of the population. Investing in girls is also a human rights act.”
