This Act, consisting of seventy-seven sections and divided into twelve parts, provides for women’s human rights protection; the government’s commitment to prevent and eliminate all forms of discrimination against women; and the compliance of the Gambian Law with the International Conventions on the Rights of the Women.
The Act concerns: application of Constitutional provisions on women’s human rights protection; right to dignity, life, integrity and security of the person; protection from any form of violence; access to justice and equal protection before the law; right to freedom of expression; enforcement of the rights of women; right to property; government’s obligations and commitment to eliminate all forms of discrimination and to adopt temporary special measures in favour of women; prohibition of discrimination against women in employment; social security benefits and equal remuneration; protection of health and safety at work; right to education and training of women and girls, and elimination of discrimination in the field of education; right to health and health care; protection of the rights of women in rural communities, including ensuring participation of women in rural development projects, and having access to agricultural credit; respect of additional rights granted by the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa; right to nutritious and adequate food and food security; right to access to clean drinking water; right to live in a healthy and sustainable environment; encouraging the role of the women in the protection of the environment and in the sustainable use of natural resources.
Concerning the women’s role in environmental protection, the Act also focuses on: promoting research and investment in renewable resources and appropriate technologies; enabling the development of women's indigenous knowledge systems; regulating the management, processing, storage and disposal of domestic waste; ensuring the compliance with proper standards for the storage, transportation and disposal of toxic waste. The Act also concerns the role of women in contributing to the sustainable development of the country, and ensures participation of women at all levels of the decision-making process, in order to reduce the level of poverty among women. The Act provides for protecting elderly women and women with disabilities; establishes the National Women’s Council and its composition and membership; defines the functions of the Council, including: development of methods for the integration and implementation of gender and women's rights initiatives in all areas of government’s activities; establishes the fund of the Council and its sources. Final provisions concern the review of the women Policy, in line with international best practices relating to the protection and enhancement of the rights of women; and general penalties for offences relating to the provisions of the Act.