Right to education is becoming a concern for all and sundry, both at national, regional and international levels.
This does not negate the gaps created by the gender disparities that were brought by the menace of poverty and unprogressive cultural concepts, among others.
However, such drilled mentality of the progress and advancement of human minds in this era is becoming a concern for developed and democratic minds of our contemporised elites. 
To bridge the gender disparities in our education as a legacy of our ancestors, Education For All Campaign Network (EFANET) in commemoration of   2011 Global Action Week (GAW), through public education, decided to focus on the above caption as a theme of discussion to promote and sensitise girls and women education to remind and spur all stakeholders in education their promises and participation to achieve the goals of 2000 Dakar Framework For Action by 2015 barely in four years time.
To make the dreams come true, EFANET, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) and women groups from various regions across the country converged at the National Assembly grounds in Banjul to share views on the day and to inform the lawmaking body about the development and the progress made by their organisations towards the level of female literacy in The Gambia.
It was an informative and educative event which needs to be relating to all positive thinkers and development oriented minds of the modern generation.
The presentations by students from various adult literacy schools was not the only interesting episode of the day but the tear shedding drama performed by the pupils of St. Therese’s Upper Basic School on discrimination against girls, the display of women products through the acquisition of skilled women and speeches made by various speakers.

Speaking at the event, Mayor Samba Faal of Banjul added his voice to many who advocate that there is serious need to address the problems that impede girls from going to school. 
According to Mayor Faal, it is vital to build an extra momentum and target the most marginalised (i.e. women and girls) to empower them and to extend them to the community and society at large.
Madam Zhono Jammeh, the principal of St. Therese’s Upper Basic School, and the vice chairperson of EFANet national chapter said that girls continue to constitute more than half of the population of children out of school globally and equal opportunity in education is a huge challenge for the government and the community.
According Madam Jammeh, impressive gains have been made for the past two decades to ensure equal access to primary education by both boys and girls.
“The coming of girls’ Trust Funds, PEGEP, and Ambassadors’ scholarship Programme funded by USAID through FAWE are all initiatives encouraging girls and women education in the Gambia,” she said.
She further commended the government for putting in place that is needed to encourage and retain girls in schools.
These are: reentry programme for pregnated girls, sexual harassment policy among others.
Jammeh lamented on numerous challenges deeply rooted in our societies that are barriers to universal primary education and the need to address them.
She informed the gathering that the education of women should not only be the purview of the government, National Assembly, MoBSE and other duty bearers but the entire citizenry especially parents, religious and community leaders.
“Everyone should support the education of women and girls to ensure a brighter future for The Gambia, she said.
Fatou Lamin Faye, Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, asked stakeholders in education the following questions. 

1.  Who are the illiterate women and children?
2.  Where are they located in the country?
3.  Why are they not in school?
4.  What can we do to bring them to school?

Answers to these questions, according to Minister Faye, will provide further energy to enable us to attend the EFA goals by 2015.
 She stated that disparities in access to education are related to income in some cases   as 38% of children from wealthier backgrounds    complete senior secondary school while only 3% for the poorest.
She further revealed that the poorest rural girl has 1% chance to complete senior secondary school against 43% richest urban boy.
The situation in region 5 and 6 are particularly worrying and the primary completion rate in these regions is only 24% and 18% respectively she said. 
There is no question or problem that cannot be answered or solved. As a daunting concern for the ministry and all stakeholders in education,  MoBSE according to the minister, has identified and is putting in mechanisms to provide services to children with disabilities, women and girls as well as hard to reach.
“In identifying these strategies we as a ministry have to think outside the box, employ non- conventional methods such as provision of low cost transportation which are managed by the communities themselves,” she said.
 
Musa Mendy, chairperson of region one EFANet, acknowledged various progresses made since the inception of the programme.
 According to Mr. Mendy, enrolment rates and gender parity at all levels of education have raised.
“The Gambia is ahead of schedule and promised that it will meet the EFA goals target by 2015. We as a developing economy need to sensitise the population to educate the girl child and to eradicate illiteracy in our society,” he said.