By Kaddy Jawo
As a growing movement in many parts of the world, a union of victims of sexual harassment and assault has recently been formed in the Gambia. Dubbed #IAMTOUFAH is the local version of the growing #MeTooMovement that has rocked the western world in recent years by taking down prominent politicians, movie stars, celebrities and other perpetrators of sexual harassment and violence against women.
Led by Fatoumatta “Toufah” Jallow a former beauty Queen, who at age eighteen was allegedly assaulted and raped by former President Yahya Jammeh, hundreds of activists and survivors of sexual violence have today, Thursday July 4th2019, staged an awareness march in Greater Sere Kunda area demanding an end to sexual harassment and violence against women.
Survivors and activists carried placards with powerful messages reading: Rape Destroys Human Dignity! No Woman Deserves Rape! No Society Deserves Rapists. Expose Them. Rape is unjustifiable under any circumstances and for any reason.
According to the organizers of the event, the march is intended to provide support to victims as well as to raise public awareness about sexual violence which is widespread in Gambian society.
Addressing the gathering, Fatoumatta Toufah Jallow—former beauty Queen and an alleged rape victim, said rather than protecting rapists we should begin to learn how to fight against them.
She requested that if one knows anyone who has raped or attempted to rape women and girls even if that person is a high profile individual in the society he should be reported immediately.
“We should be protective of our children especially the girl child … because they are vulnerably to sexual violence in our society.”
She advised mothers to start having frank discussion with their children so that they (daughters) would be comfortable enough to tell them what is going on in their lives when they encounter sexual abuse or violence.
Chanting “We own our bodies and when we said No means No”, Toufah cautioned that no stone will be left unturned in making sure that perpetrators of sexual violence face justice.
“We will not leave anyone behind including Yahya Jammeh and we will fight to the last dot just to see that justice is served and the perpetrators are exposed in the most brutal way.”
Speaking to the gathering, Madi Jobarteh, a leading human rights defender said sexual violence is an epidemic and is happening in all spheres of our society from the schools, hospitals, homes, offices and up to the highest places in our society.
“We have seen how women are subjected to this inhuman treatment and now is the time to speak out and make a stop to it now and today.”
He said society should train her people to respect human dignity particularly a woman who is an embodiment of respect and dignity.
Jobarteh indicated that there are four areas that addressed sexual violence and offenses in the Women and Children’s Act. But, he continued, even in that act, those protections are very limited in the way they fight and prohibit sexual violence.
Speaking to The Gambia Times, Matty M. Renner alias Queenie B, who is also survivor of sexual assault, said rape is real and society should give victims confidence and zeal to be able to speak out against this inhuman treatment of women.
“I was once a victim of sexual violence and it took me long before I was able to come out and tell my story. And not only did I tell my story I went further to confront my abuser.”
When asked whether all these women who came out publicly with their allegations will achieve the justice they deserve, she responded that they are optimistic that one day the perpetrators will be brought to book and that justice will be finally served.
Renner recommended that there should be thorough investigations into these serious allegations and that all the victims and alleged perpetrators should be giving chance to tell their sides of the story before reaching conclusions or making decisions.
Since Toufah came out with her story, many other women have emerged to also narrate their experiences of sexual violence by unscrupulous men.
One of these accused men, Melville Roberts, a senior government official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has now been interdicted by the Ministry of Justice pending investigations of his alleged acts of sexual violence.
The match was organized by TANGO, a leading civil society organization. The objective of the march is to provide support for victims and to raise public awareness on sexual violence.