The Vice President’s Office in partnership with UNFPA The Gambia unveiled The Gambia Investment Case on Friday, a document that provides strong justification for funding initiatives aimed at promoting women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health. At a ceremony conducted at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Hall, the event was officially started.

Members of the diplomatic corps and cabinet ministers were among the many guests who graced the occasion.

The Investment Case is a thorough and data-driven examination of the obstacles and possibilities in bringing about revolutionary changes in gender-based violence, family planning, and maternal health.

The event was hailed by Seraphine Wakana, UN resident coordinator in The Gambia, as a critical turning point in our shared quest to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and improve the welfare of the country’s citizens, particularly with regard to SDGs 3 and 5.

“We are here to launch the Investment Case for The Gambia, a pivotal document that will guide our efforts in the years to come. The Investment Case represents a comprehensive and data-driven analysis of the challenges and opportunities we face in achieving transformative results in maternal health, family planning, and gender-based violence.”

She noted that these concerns are not just essential human rights but also important forces behind sustainable development. “When we invest in the health, well-being, and empowerment of women and girls, we are investing in the future of our nation.”

The UNFPA resident coordinator mentioned studies that the organization carried out in 2019 and the obvious financial difficulty of the work at hand, stating that both financial and technical resources are needed to achieve revolutionary effects by 2030 in priority countries like The Gambia.

This, she continued, calls for a joint effort to mobilize domestic resources and prioritize these crucial sectors, noting that The Gambia, like many other nations, confronts particular difficulties in delivering these game-changing outcomes.

The UNFPA country representative, Ndeye Rose Sarr, expressed her happiness to be a part of the occasion and said the program had the potential to significantly improve the lives of women and girls in The Gambia.

She also acknowledged the support of all important ministries and stakeholders who were on the steering committee that oversaw the document’s preparation, and she thanked the Office of the President for leading the commendable project.

“We thank them for their unwavering commitment to addressing the pressing issue of maternal mortality, family planning, and gender-based violence in The Gambia.”

She disclosed that The Gambia Investment Case for Sexual and Reproductive Health is an extensive document that is the outcome of careful engagement and collaboration between the government and UNFPA together with other partners. It examines three UNFPA transformative results.

“The document outlines financial strategies with three scenarios that are required to achieve the shared vision of zero preventable maternal death, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero gender-based violence by 2030. This is a significant step towards realizing several transformational objectives.”

She continued by saying that the Gambia Investment Case for Sexual and Reproductive Health would support the ambitious agenda, which has the full backing of the government and is more than simply a plan—rather, it is a commitment to take action.

The vice president’s representative at the report’s launch, Baboucarr Buoye, the Minister of Public Service, recalled that The Gambia had reaffirmed and strengthened its commitment to preventing maternal death, enhancing access to and use of family planning and other sexual and reproductive health services, and ending all forms of gender-based violence during the conference’s 25th-anniversary celebrations in 2019.

“The United Nations Population Fund has outlined three significant and transformational objectives to pursue. Specifically, The Gambia’s ability to achieve these transformative results by 2030, hinges on the need for expediting progress, addressing resource shortfalls, and garnering political commitment at all levels.”

Minister Bouye went on to say that the investment case makes a strong case for possible investors by highlighting the benefits of carefully allocating resources and using them effectively for important priorities in a particular setting.

“It serves as a driving force to expedite the acceleration and achievement of the three zeros and allows for concentrated efforts on addressing outstanding issues at the national level. The Gambia’s investment provides a clear overview of the requirements, funding flows, and financial shortfalls associated with reaching the three zeros.”