 
Contact Address:
GAMCOTRAP
Plot no.41
Kanifing Institutional Area
Kanifing Municipality 
Banjul area Head office
P.O Box 2990 Serrekunda
The Gambia, West Africa
Tel no: +220 4399569 / 9813325
7675618 / 3953108
Fax:
4399568
Email: info@gamcotrap.gm
|
Information:
The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting
the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP) is
a national, non-governmental feminist organisation
in Gambia (NGO no: A21) which was established in February
1984 and registered as a non-profit institution in 1997.
It is active in investigating female genital mutilation,
campaigns for the end of FGM and sensitizes women about
other harmful traditional practices in their communities
while promoting beneficial customary practices.
Background:
GAMCOTRAP was founded at a meeting organised by the
WHO in Dakar, Senegal, held between the 6 to 10 February
1984. The meeting was called the 'International Seminar
on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women
and Children'. The main focus of the seminar was to
examine the various hurdles and issues women were confronted
with regarding reproduction. These problems were seen
to have a strong correlation to the different types
of traditional practices performed on African women
around the continent.
Mission Statement:
GAMCOTRAP is focused on the preservation and promotion
of girls, and women's sexual, social, political, education
and reproductive rights.
Objectives:
• To lobby & advise on policies
to preserve & maintain children & women's rights.
• To determine & enhance traditional practices
that elevates the status of women & girls.
• To promote awareness in national & international
statutes & conventions that tackles violence &
discrimination against girls and women.
• To
encourage women to participate in politics & in
elected decision making posts.
• To encourage
and advocate for the education of girls at all grades.
• To inform and lobby policy makers and decision
takers about social & cultural customs that are
detrimental to the health of females.
• To
employ the rights based strategy into their activities.
• Fundraising to finance their activities locally
and internationally.
• To fight for and defend
the human rights of females.
• To perform research
into traditional practices that touch on the reproductive
and sexual health of girls and women.
• To
foster greater awareness about the detrimental effects
of traditional practices, especially female genital
mutilation, inheritance matters, the gender dimensions
of HIV/Aids, early girl marriages and culturally prohibited
foods.
Strategy:
In order to arrive at their goals, GAMCOTRAP is engaged
in regular and strategic awareness and training programs
at the grassroots level. These community grounded training
schemes are aimed at community and religious leaders,
children, women, men, teenagers, medical practitioners,
policy makers, civil society organisations, gender rights
activists etc.
Their geographical area of intervention covers the Banjul
capital, Upper, Lower & Central River Regions, North
Bank Region, Kanifing Municipality and the West Coast
Region.
Policy Issues:
Being a feminist organisation in The Gambia, GAMCOTRAP
are committed to struggling against injustice they see
in the various communities around the country. It also
acknowledges the practical and moral support of males
who are concerned enough to help in the struggle of
women and girls.
Their foremost objective is to strengthen grassroots
organisations and people as well as those who formulate
policy to back women's issues towards equality. It has
a policy to recruit both men and women towards meeting
its agenda however, the institutions leadership positions
will always be held by females.
Areas of Intervention:
• Advocacy
• Disseminating
information through newspapers & radio
• Documentation,
publications and research
• Programs based at the
community grassroots level
• Running a trust fund
for girls' schooling
• Sensitization campaigns,
workshops & seminars
• Support of other NGOs
• Training & consultancy
GAMCOTRAP Partners:
• ActionAid - The Gambia
• African Women Development Fund
• American Embassy
- Banjul
• British High Commission
• Child Protection
Alliance
• FOKUS - Norway
• Future in Our Hands
• German Embassy
• Global Fund for Women
•
Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (IAC)
• Management Development Institute (MDI)
• National
Aids Secretariat of Gambia
• Niyo - Sweden
•
Pond Foundation
• Open Society Initiative West Africa
(OSIWA)
• Save the Children UK
• Secretary of
State for Women's Affairs
• TANGO
• Urgent Action
Fund For Women's Human Rights
• UNFPA
• UNICEF
• RAINBO Organization (RAINB)
• UNIFEM (now UN Women)
• US State Department of Health
• US State Department
of Education
• WLUML (Women Living Under Muslim
Laws
• Women's Bureau
• World Health Organisation
(WHO)
Directions:
Opposite Sheikh Zayed Eye Clinic, Serrekunda Hospital |
