Through partnership with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) – The Gambia Office, we initiated the Madrassa Engagement Project on Gender-Based Violence as an educational initiative of The Girls’ Agenda in 2015. TGA realized that young people going to Madrassa (Islamic) schools are often not included in most educational initiatives for their development. A primary reason of this exclusion is because of the difference in the curricula and areas of subject concern. Therefore, issues such as female genital mutilation, child marriage and discrimination of women are often not covered.
In addition, topics such as comprehensive sexuality education, sexual violence and participation of women in decision-making with regards to family planning and other governance matters are critical issues that are not given much regards.
FGM and child marriage are part of the most pervasive human rights violations that undermine women and girls’ rights, well-being, bodily integrity, health, education and self-reliance. Through this training of madrassa schools, we enhance awareness of future religious leaders on these critical issues and amplify their voices to be part of the campaign to end FGM and child marriage and gender-based violence in every home and community in a generation. Since inception, the project has engaged over 1,000 students and more than 100 teachers in exclusively Islamic institutions.