“I don't want my child to grow up fighting the same things that I fought”- Musu Bakoto Sawo (The Gambia) - 5/5

This is the final part of our conversation with Musu Bakoto Sawo, Gambian lawyer and human rights defender. So far, we have discussed her life as a girl and adolescent (Part 1); her experiences growing up and the people who influenced her choices (Part 2); her story as a child bride (Part 3); and her many acts of resistance against patriarchy and violence (Part 4).

In this final part, we dig deeper into her spirit of resistance, learning more about how she continues to fight injustice and inequality, and her views on feminist solidarity. 

Musu was first interviewed by Françoise Moudouthe in late 2019, as part of the global project documenting girls’ resistance. The conversation has been edited into this five-part interview by Jama Jack, for our #GirlsResistWA series. You can find out more about the series here.

Trigger Warning: This conversation contains mentions of violence and abuse which may be triggering for readers. Kindly take a moment to decide if you want to keep reading. If you do proceed, we encourage you to centre your wellbeing and stop reading at any point, as you need.

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Let’s fast forward to the woman I am speaking with today. You are still resisting! Is it accurate to say that you’ve evolved from resisting for your survival to resisting for other people’s, and for causes that are bigger than your own journey?

Already, when I was growing up as a child rights advocate, I was campaigning not just for myself, but also for other children who live in The Gambia. So, this was already something that was embedded in me. I think it became even realer when I realised that there can be a difference between theory and reality. In theory, we all have rights as children but in practice, this is not always the case. Even though there are clear laws protecting our rights, many social norms hinder the progress of those laws, leading to the violation of rights with no consequences. 

My story is not unique and I know that there are so many Gambian girls and young women who go through similar experiences and do not have the opportunities that I had to resist. At some point in my life, I almost gave up, but I felt that I could use my story to inspire them, but most importantly, to also let them know that power sometimes lies with them and exploiting it could change their situation. Being able to show them that this should not be our narrative is what has helped me to continue doing this work

How would you describe your resistance in present times?

My resistance is about blatantly smashing patriarchy. With my evolution, I realise that I take the sexist things that men do to me very personal. So, I'm the person who goes to meetings and I shake tables. It is not because I want to, but usually because someone has made a derogatory comment about women, even in spaces that are created for women’s advancement. 

I continue to resist, and I think this will be my life until the status quo changes. I will continue shaking those tables no matter how difficult it is, and I will continue using my voice and speaking out. At the end of the day, we need to change it for our children. I don't want my child to grow up fighting the same things that I fought. I don't want my child or any other girl to go through what we have been through. I'm not giving up! 

And when we dig into the more organised and structured forms of resistance, like your work at Think Young Women, what does that look like?

Think Young Women is like a baby. I didn't give birth to it, but I adopted it. The organisation was formed by two of my very close friends after they completed the MiLEAD Fellowship. It was supposed to be a social change project to create a space for young feminists and women’s rights activists in The Gambia. I couldn’t fully participate at this stage because I was pregnant, so I came onboard after I had my baby. 

With Think Young Women, the work I do is beyond my story. We are more organised and find innovative ways of changing the status quo of women in our country. We create platforms for adolescent girls and work closely with communities across The Gambia through engagement that leads to positive behavioural change. We may not all have had the same experiences, but we have similar objectives, and we work together towards a common goal.

It is impressive collective work, and it leads me to think about solidarity in the work you do. What does this mean for you? 

I think there is power in solidarity. When women come together, we are unstoppable. 

Solidarity, for me, is supporting one another and not seeing each other as competition. This is a struggle in our movements, especially with organisations and groups that are working on similar themes. Hence, solidarity would be putting personal interests aside and working together towards a common goal. At Think Young Women, we have been able to channel this and work with other organisations who share similar interests, so that we are able to create a sustainable impact. 

Just being able to work together and build a support network is important and I am thankful for the sisterhood that we built over the past years because of Think Young Women. Our Girls’ Mentorship programme is also a form of accelerating that methodology where we're building sisterhood at a very young age so that there is a support network for them. 

I think there is power in solidarity. When women come together, we are unstoppable. 

Looking back at your journey of resistance from girlhood to date, how would you describe the impact it had on your life and the lives of other people? 

I am hoping that I have been able to give someone hope and courage to understand that as women, there is power in our voices. Traveling across The Gambia and being able to uplift and support the women that I encounter has been impactful. My engagements focus heavily on the importance of education because I do not think that I would be where I am today if I weren’t educated. 

Also, being able to lobby for the interests of women is one of the most fulfilling things that I've done. Knowing that I have inspired someone to use their power or give them hope that anything is possible if you really work towards, is what I live for. When I hear the feedback, it gives me hope. 

I tell people that I don't do this work for any recognition. It doesn't get into my head when I receive an award. All I see is that I am not doing enough and that there are more women and girls who need me. My purpose is to change those theoretical things into practice so people will meaningfully benefit from them. 

A noble dream indeed, and I hope we get to witness that shift. Looking into the future, what does the world (and The Gambia) you are trying to build for women and girls look like? 

For me, it's just that one dream where I've always visualised a time in The Gambia where there would be equal opportunities for women and girls. They would also get to dream as big as they can and be able to change all those harmful social norms that exist. I know that there will be constraints in terms of resources and the backlash from communities, but just knowing that eventually we could look back at the struggle and celebrate success is huge. 

My hope is that the next generation will not have to experience the same struggles and would only learn about things like FGM as practices of the past. This is why I continue to fight and resist and ask my sisters for support to ensure that we can change these narratives.

You shared a lamp as part of the objects you brought to this interview. What does this lamp represent for you? 

I chose the lamp because it is a sign of how I kept the fire burning when everything else seemed dark around me. It is the light on my path during that difficult period of my life, when I had several challenges and adversities thrown at me at a very early age.

The lamp is a representation of how I have been able to fight through that darkness. I am clear now, and this shines through the light from the lamp. 

That is so beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing so much of yourself with us, and for all the work you do. 

Musu inspires us, and we hope she has inspired you with her story, even as she continues to resist injustice in many ways. This conversation is part of a series of interviews with women from West Africa on the theme of resistance. Click here to see all the interviews.