The “I Am for Zero” campaign is a UNFPA Gambia flagship campaign that seeks to enhance community ownership towards the realisation of the agency’s three transformative results. The campaign organised in partnership with UNFPA implementing partners, utilizes various strategies for social mobilisation, public information and awareness raising.

As part of the campaign activities, night film shows facilitated by the Gambia Family Planning Association were used as entry points to foster dialogue on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) including Family Planning, Gender Based Violence (GBV) among others. Reaching community members especially women and men, the film shows were organised in 9 villages in the Upper River, Central River and North Bank Regions of The Gambia during the 12-day campaign.

Through the film shows, short movies and other informative videos on harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage, SRH including Family Planning and maternal health and male involvement in addressing GBV and were used to start conversations around the three transformative results and the implication of their realisation on the health, dignity and development of entire communities.

During one of the film shows in Kerr Pateh, a hard-to-reach community 19 kilometres from the administrative town of the North Bank Region Kerewan, Fatou Samurah a resident highlighted the need for ensuring access to quality and adequate SRH services and information for women so as to protect them from ill health and address complications in pregnancy and child birth.

“The lessons I have learnt from the films will help me improve my health, care for my family and promote dialogue between myself and my spouse” she said.

Through the film shows, over 600 community members were reached with information on SRH and GBV and engaged in discussions on the need to protect women and girls and champion male involvement in SRH and addressing GBV.

Media contact:

Haddy Jonga – Programme Analyst Communications, UNFPA The Gambia jonga@unfpa.org

Faith C. Ememodo – Communications Intern, UNFPA The Gambia ememodo@unfpa.org