THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA’S COMBINED REPORT ON THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN & PEOPLES’ RIGHTS & INITIAL REPORT ON THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA The Children’s Act 2005 The Gambia ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child which were domesticated in the Children`s Act 2005. This primary aim of the Children’s Act is to protect the child. Other legal instruments for child protection include the Tourism Offences Act 2003, Trafficking in Persons Act 2007, Labour Act 2007 and the Women's Act 2010 and its amendment on the criminalisation of FGM in 2015, The Criminal Code which contains offences and provides penalties for violators and perpetrators. The Children`s Act, defines a child to be a person under the age of eighteen and the Criminal Code prescribes the age of criminal responsibility in The Gambia as twelve. This implies that a person under the age of twelve years is not criminally responsible for any act or omission, except it can be proved that at the time of committing the act, or making the omission, the person had the capacity to recognise that what he or she was doing was wrong. Advancement of Children’s Right  Minimising the costs of education: Scholarship schemes and other incentives are provided to promote girls’ education. In the public schools, schooling is tuition free up to Grade 9. The scholarship Trust Fund pays for all the girls from grade 7-12 in Education Regions 3-6. The President’s Empowerment of Girls Education Project (PEGEP) pays for all the girls in public schools from grade 7-12 in Regions 1and 2 and also contributes tuition fees for girls in the private schools. However, these funds are supplemented by regional initiatives and incentives of various types, including special scholarship packages that cover a wide range of costs from fees, uniforms, books to mentoring.  Equal gender participation in school management is being promoted through the School Management Structures (former PTAs). The School Management Committee (SMC) brings on board people who know the most about the learners and their educational needs, as well as about local values and realities and is the route to more responsive system. It provides the space for community participation and is more equitable as poor households have a stronger and more effective voice in local community institutions in which they play a role in framing priorities and in holding school providers accountable. 91