Child protection
Every child has the right to live free from violence, exploitation and abuse
Our goal for every child in The Gambia 2024-2028
Protection is a fundamental right, and, with the support of our partners, UNICEF Gambia aims to ensure protection for every child in The Gambia. By 2028, working in partnership the Government of The Gambia, we want to ensure that the most vulnerable and marginalized children and adolescents, especially girls, have access to an effective child protection system that protects them from violence and harmful practices.
We will continue our work with communities and families to end harmful practices, including Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage, and support the training and capacity building of the national social services workforce to ensure a responsive and quality national child protection system. Utilizing our multi-sectoral experience, we will ensure coordination between the health, education, and justice systems to identify and meet the needs of the most vulnerable. Protection starts with an identity thus we will continue to strengthen information management systems for child protection, including the digitalization of birth registration.
By 2028, we aim to ensure 75% of children under 5 years have had their birth registered, that the percentage of 18–29-year-olds who experienced sexual violence as child has fallen to 3%, and a 10% decrease in the percentage of girls aged under 15 years who have undergone FGM.