women-from-gambia

"When I was growing up in The Gambia, most of the films I watched were through two primary channels: Senegalese national TV- RTS and home videos. I religiously watched films, movies or soap operas - like Dallas, Dynasty, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, The Cosby Show (all dubbed in French) and Mademoiselle, among a few others shown on RTS at that time. My sister Haddy also made me watch Wollof-language children’s comedy and films on RTS in the evenings. It was also common for me and my other siblings to watch Wollof-language films on RTS. Sometimes, we watched the dubbed non-Senegalese French-language films with our father, who spoke fluent French and our second mother, who also speaks French. After The Gambia established its own television station, we watched films through The Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS). On occasions, too, I watched home videos of films like Problem Child, Sarafina, etc., with my best friend in High School, Rebecca Gomez, at my cousin Lamin Camara (L-boy)’s family home. So, my experiences of “cinema” or productions of the moving image involved socializing with family, friends and neighbors. It also involved taking part in group entertainment, sharing and building relationships. My film-related experiences also inspired my interests in filmmaking and the moving image."

"Women should vote for women and men should vote for women, too, because women have been voting for men awhile. That is the only way to remedy the situation and fight to end low women’s representation in decision-making tables."

"Women’s representation in decision-making is still lacking. We still have to have more women. That is why data collection is important because with it we can hold the government accountable. We are the majority, if we support each other and vote for each other I think this inadequate of women’s representation will be a thing of the past."

"We have come a long way but the issue to repeal the FGM law is threatening us, taking us backward and it is men that are in the center stage of this. Women should be left alone to handle their affairs themselves."

"I like to think that if I do have any position in the current cinema environment in The Gambia, then that position might be located on the slim fringes of The Gambian film sector. So far, I’ve only produced a few films in the country. This limited number of productions makes my contribution in the sector very modest and less significant compared to the numbers of new drama, feature or documentary films produced by my other compatriots. Most of these new producers have now established a niche as full-time Gambian filmmakers in the country. So, maybe, my place in the current local scene has been overtaken by the new promising productions that are available online and through other means. With that realization, my task as a filmmaker is to refocus and re-initiate my filmmaking career following its long hiatus, which resulted from the lack of grounded-ness in my life and career in the world of exile. In other words, the ups and downs of living a life in exile have stalled my filmmaking career, too."

"As part of my contribution in the film sector, I will reinitiate some of the projects I need to complete like Fascinala. Additionally, I will explore new projects I wanted to work on before I left The Gambia. I will be delighted to partner with Prince Sankanou to work on a project we’ve discussed about many years ago. In other words, I will work to strengthen the sector."

"Yes, I see future developments in cinema in The Gambia. As I stated, already, some of my compatriots including my friend, Prince Sankanou, have been doing great work in the Gambian film sector. They’re all great inspiration for me and I hope to join them soon, following the long hiatus that kept me away from the sector."

"It was important to lead an organization that was by people like us, who have lived experience and know how to tackle these issues in a respectful manner."

"They’re denying a lot of the pain that women and girls are going through, and just calling it Western influence."

"This is a battle of women around the world—because you may not sound like me, you may not look like me, but what they are trying to do to our bodies is the same everywhere."

"I can’t tell you the amount of times in a day that I hear that I’m going to hell."

"Already people are running away from me, nobody wants to talk to me because nobody wants to get in trouble, so I think what I did is the best thing."

"People are living in fear, people are not comfortable, people cannot even talk on the phone because they're scared somebody could be listening to their conversation."

"I am glad that The Gambia has endorsed the Ecowas Court judgment. I hope this serves as a lesson for governments to allow journalists do our work without harassment and intimidation. Our rights to freedom of expression, liberty, and freedom of movement should always be respected."

"I remember feeling silenced and alone,the pain was almost too much to bear."

"These issues are personal to me, they’re part of my life history. We won’t have equality until girls can grow up with control over their own bodies and futures."

"I am proud to join UN Women in their fight for the rights of women and girls all over Africa. I want to see the day when no parent makes a decision that will change and limit their daughters’ lives. The girls of Africa and worldwide need to know that their future is bigger than they imagine."

"How many people are jailed in Gambia based on anything because you know the judicial system, how do you trust it?"

"I think it's a group of people who are really jealous, who don't want me to do what I have to do or maybe I was becoming too popular for them,"

"I was told they have an executive directive that I should not appear on that TV again, you think it makes sense for me to stay there?"

"The protection of children including children on the move is vital to our society and I as First Lady commit to advocating for the protection of children in The Gambia."

"Women are more than mothers and men are more than fathers."

"No to infertility stigma get tested with your wife and support her during treatment."

"We plucked plastic bags from trash piles and took them home together with my four friends. We washed the bags, dried them, cut them into strips, and crocheted them into bags. Other people made fun of us but we never gave up, we just pressed on, knowing that we were doing it for a good cause."

"I started seeing a lot of people indiscriminately dumping their garbage at the back of their houses and in the street. The problem was only getting worse and other than just looking ugly, the waste piles were also causing other issues in my community."

"My entrepreneurship spirit has since helped to empower many women through providing them with the means and support to generate an income, now they’re able to care for their families."

"it’s a culture that is part of life; a part of everything one is doing or about to venture into. It must be seen as a very essential tool in making life better for you and everyone else."

"A climate justice approach is the single-best hope the world has."

"as long as large swathes of humanity remain underrepresented and unsupported, action at Cop will have little meaning."

"Justice is about having your voice heard and being included in the process."

"Women, in particular, have been systematically excluded from the decision-making table"

"We already know that economic downturns lead to increased levels of gender-based violence."

"Cultural expectations on women to care for their families will not fall, even when livelihoods are destroyed as a result of the climate crisis"

"The world is watching, young people are watching"

"The fight cannot be won through well-meaning words, one-off programmes or snappy press releases. It requires a strategic, systematic approach that builds alliances of the willing and drives catalytic change."

"When humanitarian crises deteriorate and hunger levels increase, women and girls will shoulder the burden"

"The future for people living in poorer countries has become increasingly precarious"

"Poorer countries, which contribute least to global emissions, must be supported so they can adapt to the growing consequences of a warming world."

"The government can’t do it alone–and neither can we"

"Impact matters most at the grassroots level"

"We believe in the power of empowering local communities"

"At some point, you have no choice but to be involved in climate advocacy, because whether you like it or not, it directly affects your livelihood and your wellbeing"

"Much of the innovation we are seeing today—whether in the circular economy, education, waste management, or climate-smart agriculture—is already being led by young people"

"We cannot talk about addressing the most pressing challenges of our time while leaving out the group that makes up more than half of Africa’s population"

"This is the harsh reality we are facing. If we want to fight the climate crisis and talk about climate justice, then we need to ensure that girls’ education is put at the heart of the discussions. We have been talking for a long time, but what we need now is real action."

"Leaders are failing to grasp the urgency of the crisis before us."

"Gender equality is the equal access to opportunities - political, economic and social – for both male and female."

"Be firm and decisive over what you believe in; stay focused and determined. There is never a smooth road in achieving great end."

"The youth must believe in themselves; the powers they possess in making Africa better; and wisely use it to promote cohesiveness, peaceful coexistence and well-developed Africa where respect for diversity is guaranteed."