MUSLIM HATE IN GAMBIA
The Gambia
The Gambia is continental Africa's smallest country and it is one of the poorest in the region when it comes to GDP per capita. The principal ethnic groups are the Wollof and the Mandinka the former living mainly in the capital city of Banjul, while the latter constitute the single largest people of The Gambia. National identity is replacing ethnical identity, making The Gambia a melting pot of West African ethnic groups.
In The Gambia, domestic violence, including abuse, occasionally is reported, and its occurrence is believed to be fairly common. Police tend to consider these incidents to be domestic issues outside of their ordinary jurisdiction. Rape and assault are crimes under the law. The law does not differentiate between married and unmarried women in this regard. Laws generally are enforced. Neither sexual harassment nor de facto sexual discrimination are believed to be widespread. female genital mutilation (FGM) is widespread, especially in the countryside.
Social
data
Life expectancy: Male: 51.29 years; female: 55.16 years (2000 est.)
Infant mortality: 79.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Literacy rate: Total population: 38.6%; male: 52.8%; female: 24.9% (1995
est.)
Medical services: 0.09 doctors each 1.000 inhabitants.
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female;
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female; total
population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Religious data: Of a population of 1.33m, about 80.0% are Muslims, 11.2% are
followers of African religions. 7.8% are Christians of different denominations
including Anglicans, Methodists, and Roman Catholics. The majority of Gambians
are strict in their religious practices. There is, however, no fanaticism and
amity prevails between religious and ethnic groups.
Family
and tradition
Families tend to educate their sons before their daughters. Women are most often
employed in some kind of farming endeavors. Numerous childbirths are the norm.
Shari'a law usually is applied in divorce and inheritance matters for Muslims,
who make up approximately 80 percent of the population. Women normally receive a
lower proportion of assets distributed through inheritance than do male
relatives. Marriages often are arranged and, depending on the ethnic group,
polygyny (polygamy, where one man marries several women) is practiced. Women in
polygynous unions have property and other rights arising from the marriage. They
have the option to divorce, but not a legal right to approve or be notified in
advance of subsequent marriages.
Active women's rights groups exist, which are focused primarily on economic
issues and the elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM).
Gender
sensitivity in society
Traditional views of women's roles result in extensive societal discrimination
in education and employment. Families frequently educate male children before
female children. Females constitute about 40 percent of primary school students
and roughly 1/3 of high school students. Employment in the formal sector is open
to women at the same salary rates as men. No statutory discrimination exists in
other kinds of employment; however, women generally are employed in endeavors
such as food vending or subsistence farming.
Depending on the ethnic group, marriages are often arranged and polygyny is practiced. Women have the option to divorce, but not a legal right to approve or be notified in advance of subsequent marriages. Gambian women give birth to 5.75 children on average.
The Constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, religion, disability, language, or social status, and the Government generally respects these prohibitions.
Health
data
Access to potable water: 69%
Medical services: 0.07 doctors each 1.000 inhabitants. 60% of total
population has no access to health services
Maternal mortality rate: 1.100/100.000.
Infant mortality: 79.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Between 60 and 90% of girls undergo this
procedure (est.). Seven of the nine major ethnic groups practice FGM at ages
varying from shortly after birth until 18 years old. The practice of female
genital mutilation, which is widely condemned by international health experts as
damaging to both physical and psychological health, is widespread and
entrenched. Reports place the number of women having been subjected to FGM at
between 60 and 90 percent. Seven of the nine major ethnic groups practice FGM at
ages varying from shortly after birth until 18 years old. In recent years, the
Government publicly has supported efforts to eradicate FGM and discourages FGM
through health education. However, the Government has not passed legislation
against FGM, and FGM is not considered a criminal act. In February President
Jammeh stated publicly that the Government would not ban FGM, and that FGM is a
part of the country's culture.
Women activists are very much engaged fighting FGM in rural areas. One activist leader told afrol. that responses among men in general were surprisingly positive. However, there were substantial resistance among rural women concerning this issue. Muslim leaders have, under pressure from women activists, officially stated in the media that Islam should not be used as an excuse for carrying through the practice of FGM.
Violence
against women
Domestic violence, including abuse, occasionally is reported, and its occurrence
is believed to be fairly common. Police tend to consider these incidents to be
domestic issues outside of their ordinary jurisdiction.
Rape and assault are crimes under the law. The law does not differentiate
between married and unmarried women in this regard. Any person who has carnal
knowledge of a girl under the age of 16 is guilty of a felony (except in the
case of marriage); incest is also illegal. These laws generally are enforced.
Neither sexual harassment nor de facto sexual discrimination are believed to be
widespread, although individual instances have been noted.
Main sources: U.S. Department of State, CIA, Mundo negro