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Momodou
Denmark
11681 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Jul 2006 : 04:06:05
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Editorial
IS THE PRESIDENT A PROTECTOR OF WORKING WOMEN?
CIVIL SERVANTS AND THE THREAT TO DO STREET CLEANING OR?
Sometimes people who are very conscious of how human society has developed to be what it is today would wonder whether Gambia is not indeed walking towards the 18th Century when the vast majority of people of the would live only to work to death rather than work so as to live in liberty and prosperity. This is why the 8 hour working day and the 40 hour working week have been accepted as standard working periods for working people. In the past, keeping workers at the jobs places for sixteen hours a day and seven days a week drove many women away from the work places to stay at home to take care of children and the household. Even though most women are still responsible for their households shorter working hours and a shortened working days in the week had enabled many women to leave the weekend open to go to markets to purchase their weekly needs and to take care of their family needs. In the Gambia poor electricity supply has increased the burden of women who work in the public service. With electricity supply they can purchase the fish they need for a period of one or two weeks so as to save time in going to the market. End of month is when such women get money to do their shopping. Saturday is when all shops are open in the morning for people to do their shopping. The last Saturday in the month is when the president has chosen to do what is referred to as a national cleaning exercise. No study has been done to know the impact. The voluntary sprit is being wiped out completely and the threats to public servants that if they do not comply the NIA will be set on their trail is leaning towards forced labour, which constitute a violation of human rights. It is universally accepted that each human being has a right to leisure. Women especially need their weekend. It is unfair for a person in position of authority to make statements that can make them live in a state of fear. We call on the president to clarify his comments. Some are interpreting his comments on the Civil servants and the cleaning exercise as a threat. In actual fact it is the responsibility of the councils to clean the streets. The state should find out why the councils are failing in their responsibility and address the problem. The public can cooperate by making sure that waste is deposited in receptacles placed in their neighbourhoods for waste disposal. They can make sure that the tradition of cleaning their compounds and gates are maintained. Street vendors and shopkeepers can make sure that they keep the vicinity where they do business clean. If this is done why is their need to violate the freedom of movement of people for hours in the name of promoting environmental sanitation. Keeping our environment clean is an everyday thing.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 58/2006, 28-30 July, 2006
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