It’s International Women’s Day today! Around the world, there are thousands – maybe millions – of activities and initiatives created to commemorate this day in many different ways. The methods may differ, but the objective is generally the same: celebrate and honour women, acknowledge progress, identify gaps, commit to better action for sustainable results.

Every year, in some corners, there is always a debate on the (f)utility of a one-day celebration in a year that gives us 365/366 days to do the same. There may be a million other debates focused on capitalism, brand image fixing, opportunistic messaging and more. While I remain a fan of these international commemorations, and have organised and supported so many initiatives in the 20 years of my work as an activist, this year’s Women’s Day has got me reflecting on many issues, especially in connection with our reality as women in The Gambia.

Today, our social media timelines are filled with words, graphics and videos celebrating us. There is a lot of goodwill and solidarity. There is a lot of love, and the positivity is beautiful. There are also very important discussions examining our current realities, within the context of this year’s theme, which focuses on equality. Off the interwebs, there are several activities organised by individuals and groups to celebrate, connect, engage and elevate women. I take it all in with a smile, appreciating how far we have come, the fights we have won, and the opportunities that exist to support our ultimate battle against inequality and the patriarchy.

But I also have questions…

How do we reconcile the celebration of this progress with the reality that, even today, women are still years away from enjoying equality, justice and full liberation?

I write this from a Gambia where almost one year after a man was accused of serial rape and assault, he still walks free, and his victims remain helpless. This is a man who has looked us all in the face and told us nothing will happen and society will protect him. He does this, possibly knowing that he’ll get away with it again, just as he has done in the past. This did not just happen in a day. It happened for him and many other perpetrators because our justice system continues to fail women in this country. Despite messages of solidarity and promises to take action in the heat of the campaign, the custodians of our justice system have proven that they don’t care enough about the rights and welfare of women.  We have seen the silence from some of our favourite (male) defenders and champions of democracy and human rights. We have noticed the silence from institutions like the Gambia Bar Association, the Female Lawyers Association of The Gambia, the General Legal Council and many more. I cite these because I believe they should have been at the fore of the condemnation of all forms of violence against women, and because the accused is a lawyer in The Gambia.This man remains confident in his continued freedom because our society continues to blame victims instead of holding perpetrators to account. The stories and testimonies of victims continue to be analysed, questioned and doubted, even by people who claim to be human rights activists. We have seen this same man granted at least three media platforms to essentially defend himself and remind us that nothing will happen. Meanwhile, his victims continue their struggle for support… and for people to, at the very least, believe their stories. As I write this, he still walks free and we’re told ‘investigations are on’.

I write this from a Gambia where one of the biggest artists in the country gets accused of domestic violence and physical assault, but continues to live the ‘star’ life, including being featured on the stage of The Gambia’s biggest platform, the Open Mic Festival. Similar to the case above, we have seen our fellow women’s rights activists defend this man, and choosing to treat this case as a private matter. We have seen people who claim to be on our side, marching and fighting with us, continue to rub his freedom into our faces. We have been told to mind our businesses and stop meddling in the private lives of others. Like I had already said in the heat of this case, domestic violence may happen in the privacy of homes, but it is not a private matter. Despite the publicity around this case, we still wait to see any action from different sections of society to signal a complete lack of tolerance for all forms of gender-based violence. The ones who continue to speak up now belong in a class of ‘haters’, and the women among us are accused of not supporting other women. The campaigns to draw attention to this case and push for action have been branded smear campaigns and attributed tribalist intentions.

I write this from a Gambia where, in the past year, we have been through a period of constant publicised cases of rape and assault in public transport. At one point, it felt like the norm to wake up to a new story of a woman being attacked, beaten, raped and robbed, simply because she stepped out of her house. One arrest was made, as far as I am aware, and information on that case is no longer available. Meanwhile, women continue to move around in fear because these attacks have not stopped. As I write this, I’m aware of three separate attacks that happened last night, and I know of this simply because of our #SaveGambianWomen initiative which is documenting cases, and designing an action plan to ensure protection and justice. During the peak of these attacks, and despite the cries from women for better protection, we have seen very little done to enhance security around these areas, and ensure safety for women and other vulnerable persons.

I write this from a Gambia where we have been celebrated for enacting some of the most progressive laws to protect women. However, these laws hardly serve us, and have done very little to advance our lives and ensure our full liberation. As the world celebrates and honours of Justice Minister for leading the good case for the Rohingya people, women in The Gambia still yearn for justice against rape, sexual harassment, physical abuse, human trafficking, intimate partner violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation, and many more violations of their rights. Perpetrators continue to walk free, and victims and survivors are left to figure out their healing, as they wait in vain for justice to be served.

In July 2018, I wrote an opinion piece calling for the rectification of the generation-long tradition of keeping The Gambia’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs annexed to the Office of theVice President. My frustration with this setting was also linked to the fact that, at the time, the seat of the Vice Presidency was occupied by a man, who was automatically responsible for managing ‘women’s affairs’, at least at the level of the State. In February 2019, we celebrated the response to this call made by various groups and individuals. The Gambian Government announced the creation of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Children and Social Welfare. This was a progressive step, especially for a government that still left a lot to desire as far as equal representation and the prioritisation of the needs and aspirations of girls and women in the country. Even today.

It’s been more than a year since this new Ministry was created, and I’m not exactly sure what has changed, and how much progress has been made. I wonder out loud, because it is in this same period that the cases I have mentioned above, and many more, happened and were part of our public discourse. With great disappointment, we have watched this Ministry fade in the background in the moments when they had an opportunity to take a strong stance and signal the government’s resolve to ensure justice for all women in The Gambia. We have asked questions about the activities of the Ministry in the one year of its existence, and have been met with little to no information. Beyond familiarisation tours in the country, attending the UN Commission on the Status of Women, celebrations of international days, and the occasional statement of ‘reassurance’, what exactly has the Ministry of Women’s Affairs done? What do they plan to do? How do they plan to engage their constituents? How do they plan to take charge of their legal duty to protect and fulfil the rights of women in this country? How do they intend to work with and support civil society groups to ensure lasting solutions?

I ask this last question because, in reality, the bulk of the work to support women, create safe spaces, engage in meaningful dialogue, and end the cycle of gender-based violence is carried on the shoulders of civil society groups. In my current research on the actions to engage communities and influence and end to FGM, for example, the facts show that civil society groups continue to lead this work, with little resources and support. Where there are resources, donors often determine the type of activities to be carried out, and often under government oversight. This hinders progress, and will continue to affect the results we work to achieve.

I could go on and on with my questions and concerns, but I am tired. I also have to get up and get ready to attend a Women’s Day event where the keynote speaker is a … man. I said I’m tired, didn’t I?

Today, as we celebrate Women’s Day and congratulate ourselves for the gains made, let us also remember that we are not yet free. Let’s remember the many women who cannot celebrate this day because their lives have been ended by gender-based violence. Let’s remember that each one of us has a role to play in ensuring equality, and that our silence protects perpetrators and betrays victims and survivors. Let’s stand for what is right, even if it means standing against our own. Let’s learn to hold our government accountable. Let’s learn to hold ourselves accountable. Let’s remember to support and uplift ourselves and other women, as we march together towards our full liberation.

Each for Equal starts with us as individuals, because our actions will set the tone for what society adopts and accepts as norm.

To my sisters who wake up everyday to do the thankless work for liberation, through our words and our actions, let’s keep going. Let’s raise our voices higher, and strengthen our actions. Let’s nurture the spaces we are creating in our different ways, and push for our collective goal: liberation! Thank you for your service.