Gambia’s Groundbreaking Investment Case Report on Women Unveiled
By Mariama Dem
In a momentous milestone, The Gambia’s Investment Case Report on Women, developed through a dynamic collaboration between the United Nations Population Fund and the Gambian government, was officially launched on the 20th of October, 2023, at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Center in Bijilo.
The report shines a spotlight on the critical imperative of investing in women’s health and empowerment, while also confronting the persistent issue of high maternal mortality rates. It underscores the urgency of combatting detrimental practices that disproportionately affect women and girls, offering hope for positive change.
The comprehensive Investment Case delves deep into the historical and contemporary factors shaping the challenges of eradicating gender-based violence and other harmful practices, including child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The findings of this investment case evaluation are poised to play a critical role in helping The Gambia identify the necessary resources required to fulfill their commitment to enhance the lives and well-being of Gambian women and girls.
Ms. Ndéye Rose Sarr, UNFPA Country Representative to The Gambia, emphasized the significance of this step towards realizing transformative objectives as she unveiled the key findings of the report.
“A funding requirement of 26.4 million on the modest scenario and up to 77.4 million on the ambitious scenario is needed from 2023 to 2030. While government projected spending on reproductive health expenditures and the requirement of combined investment cases for family planning, maternal health, and gender-based violence ranges from 30 million US dollars in the modest scenario to 71 million in an ambitious scenario in which the government needs to tackle the issues”.
Despite a significant decrease from 433 per 1000 in 2013 to 289 per 1000 in 2019, maternal mortality continues to pose a substantial challenge in The Gambia. To significantly reduce maternal deaths, the report recommends an investment of $38 million to achieve a 51 percent decrease.
Another pressing need highlighted in the report is family planning services, currently available to only 24% of the population.
Seraphine Wakana, UN Resident Coordinator to The Gambia, commended the investment case as a robust advocacy and resource mobilization tool, one that charts the course for addressing maternal health, family planning, and women’s empowerment in The Gambia in an effective and comprehensive manner.
The Minister of Public Service, Baboucarr Bouy, spoke on behalf of Vice President Muhammed BS Jallow, underlining the importance of understanding the anticipated costs and additional investments needed. This knowledge is crucial, especially as The Gambia finalizes its green recovery-focused national development plan, which includes support for achieving three transformational results. The government’s firm commitment to these goals and prudent, well-informed investments was reaffirmed.
According to the case report, urban areas in The Gambia are already witnessing a decline in child marriages without external intervention, while rural areas, with a 44 percent incidence among those aged 20–24 in 2019 (compared to 19 percent in urban areas), represent areas that can benefit from increased resources. By investing in rural regions, it’s estimated that up to 65 percent of child marriages can be prevented.
Furthermore, the report reveals that between 2023 and 2030, investment can help avert up to 46 percent of cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The Gambia’s pursuit of the “three zeros” by 2030 – zero maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero cases of gender-based violence – is contingent on accelerated investment and solid commitment at all levels.