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 their children after the death of their spouse, unless it is proven not to be in the best interest and welfare of the child. The Women’s Act also provides that a widow has the right to an equitable share in the inheritance of property of her husband and to continue to live in the matrimonial home or the previous matrimonial home is it belongs to her or if she inherited it. 8.2 Elderly women In The Gambia, there is no specific legislation for the protection of the rights of the elderly, but there exists a National Social Security policy which was formulated in 2011 and validated in 2014. The elderly are also entitled to the rights protected under Chapter IV of the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia. Their rights are also protected by international and regional instruments on Human Rights signed by The Gambia; in particular the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons, The Pensions Act and Social Security and Housing Finance Act provide for the protection of the economic, and social rights of the elderly. It is estimated that the elderly constitute 3.5 percent of the population of The Gambia. Under the closelyknit family settings in The Gambia, majority of people live in an extended family setting, thus the elderly are most often in the care of their family members. The National Social Protection Policy contains a number of strategies aimed at improving the welfare of the elderly, through increased financial allocation to meet their needs in the national budget, provision of health care services, reproductive care and social services. The National Social Protection Policy has also adequately addressed the care needs of elderly person, with measures to strengthen standards and practice for the support of the welfare of elderly persons. A National Steering Committee on Social Protection was established in 2011. The committee is chaired by the Office of the President and hosted at the Department of Social Welfare. The committee meets quarterly since 2011 and has so far held four National Consultative Forums. The fact that the office of the president chairs the committee is a clear manifestation of the Government’s commitment to the rights of the elder in the area of social protection. Training on Social Protection is provided to the members of the committee who are representatives of Inter-Sectorial agencies; with a focus on the socio-economic welfare protection of the elderly. 166