H.E. Fatou Lamin Faye

H.E FATOU LAMIN FAYE, Minister of Basic and Secondary Education of The Gambia, delivered her speech representing the First Lady of the Republic of the Gambia. She gave remarks on women empowerment in the Gambia and the participation of the private sector and social organizations in this matter. The issue of women empowerment, she said, requires the collaboration of all members of the national and international communities in order to achieve poverty reduction, food security, good health, and quality education.

H.E FATOU LAMIN FAYE, Minister of Basic and Secondary Education of The Gambia, delivered her speech representing the First Lady of the Republic of the Gambia. She gave remarks on women empowerment in the Gambia and the participation of the private sector and social organizations in this matter. The issue of women empowerment, she said, requires the collaboration of all members of the national and international communities in order to achieve poverty reduction, food security, good health, and quality education.

She added that the Gambia has made significant strikes in the social and productive success of the economy. An example is the advancement in attaining food self-sufficiency that is manifested through the hard work and dedication of Gambian women in providing for their families as well as the award that His Excellency The President of The Republic had been granted by the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization (UNFAO). Because Gambian women constitute 70% of the agricultural labor force in the country, Faye emphasized the need to increase “women’s participation in landscape commercial agriculture.” According to her, efforts to do so are “indeed a laudable policy direction towards achieving the country’s vision 2016 on food self-sufficiency development agenda and beyond”.

Moreover, Faye said that efforts of the health sector in addressing deadly diseases such as HIV, AIDS as well as cervical and breast cancer in women and children are crucial. She also addressed the issue of early marriage that she believes has several health implications and negative effects on the allocation of young girls; thereby restricting their potential for a professional career. In addition, Faye discussed the fundamental right of women to have access to education in the Gambia and the remarkable advancements that have taken place in this field. Lastly, she ensured the government of the Gambia’s will to mobilize the participation of the private sector, civil society organizations, and other development partners in achieving the 20130 SDG’s. In her conclusion, Faye stated that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires peace and security, and the mobilization of resources, both domestically and from partners. She said that the uncertainty of accessing resource left a lot of countries behind in attaining their goals in improving health, education, agriculture, and others.