The Association for the Promotion of Girls and Women's Advancement in The Gambia (APGWA) and its partner Africa in Democracy and Good Governance on Tuesday 16 March 2009 celebrated the International Women's Day at the Serrekunda West Football grounds.
The theme for this year's commemoration was "Men and Women United to end violence against Women and Girls and the ceremony took the form of a procession by school children amidst frenzy singing and dancing as well as drumming.
In her opening remarks, the Executive Director for APGWA Mrs. Binta Jammeh Sidebeh who also chaired the ceremony, said that 8 of March was unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly as International Women's Day and the day is set aside for all governments around the World, Civil Society Organisations, the Private Sector and all men and women within the community to reflect on the achievements of women, their challenges as well as trials and tribulations.
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She further revealed that this year, there is a campaign going on by women rights organisations which is called the campaign in 2009 ,Africa for Women's Rights Ratify and Respect. Mrs. Binta Jammeh Sidibeh further called on states to ratify without reservations the protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the optional protocol. She further called on states to bring national legislations in conformity with the provisions of International and regional women human right protection instruments by abolishing discriminatory laws and adopting laws to protect women's human rights.
