From 1-9 August 2004, EPF brought a delegation of eight Young Decision Makers and Young Members of Parliament, from European Parliament, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Ireland, Finland and Sweden on a field visit to Gambia prior to the Global Roundtable “Countdown 2015: Sexual and reproductive health and rights for all”. 

In collaboration with IPPF, the IEPFPD organised a field visit to the Gambia for a group of Young Decision Makers (YDMs) in August 2004, timed to coincide immediately prior to the Global Roundtable “Countdown 2015: Sexual and reproductive health and rights for all”. The field visit was planned along with GFPA (Gambian Family Planning Association), IPPF and UNFPA. The YDM group included : Hon. Said El Khadraoui (MEP), Hon. Jorge Nuno de Sá, MP (Portugal), Hon. Carmen Montón Giménez, MP (Spain), Ines Eichmueller (Young Greens, Germany), Hon. Damien English, TD (Ireland), Jehki Härkönen (Young Greens - Finland), Aliaksandr Kuuvshinov (Young Christian Democrats, Belarus), Isabelle Sannestedt (Young Social Democrats, Sweden). The field visit programme provided the YDMs with the opportunity to meet with grass root organisations working in the field of sexual education, women empowerment, HIV/AIDS, family planning as well as interact with the highest levels of decision making in this developing country, for example with the Vice-President of the Republic, Parliamentary Committees and leading government officials.

“I now work as information manager at the Olof Palme International Centre with a hiv/aids campaign. I share my experiences from the Gambia and from our discussions in the Young Decision Makers group in my daily work.”
By: Isabelle Sannestedt, Young Social Democrats of Sweden

Highlights of the field visits included:

meetings with members of the Gambian Parliament and and leaders of opposition political parties to discuss sensitive issues such as female genital mutilation and wife inheritance;

meeting with local authorities of Kerawan village (located at approximatively 300km from Banjul) on youth involvement and SRHR as well as women empowerment in society;

appearing on a live broadcast of a local radio station and raising issues such as adolescent sexuality, young people in decision-making and freedom of speech;

meeting with H.E. the Vice-President of Gambia Ms Isatou Nijie-Saidy and presenting her with the Final Declaration adopted by the YDM Group.
Over the course of the field visit to the Representative Coordinator of the United Nations Operational Activities in the Gambia, pointed out that the YMD field visit was the first multi-country delegation ever visiting The Gambia on SRHR issues and among the largest. The attention which the YDM visit drew from local media and government representatives highlighted the interest shown by the national government by send numerous representatives to each YDM meeting. The young decision makers engaged in open discussions with government bodies that directly brief the President of the Republic of The Gambia (National Aids Secretariat, National Population Secretariat, National Youth Council and National Department of Youth and Sports).

Also noteworthy was the fact that the YDM delegation was the youngest delegation of decision makers ever to visit The Gambia. This fact itself reinforced the importance of the youth decision making bodies of The Gambia and encouraged the parties involved to strengthen their commitment to empowering you people in The Gambia. Through the YDM meetings with youth representatives the group could easily compare and identify gaps in youth empowerment, knowing that most of YDM member have been or still are leaders of political youth organizations. In the end, both parties, European young decision makers and Gambian young people benefited from this exchange of experiences.