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 children from lower basic, upper basic and senior secondary education levels. The Grant is also coupled with the bursary scheme for girls that also provides for uniforms and stationary especially for girls in the rural area. In addition, the READ Project, by the Ministry of Education and the World Bank, a grant recently received in 2018 also providing for free text books in schools for both boys and girls. To further ensure that education is made available for all, a Conditional Cash Transfer scheme has also been introduced to provide another form of education with minimum curriculum standards to children and youth who attend non-conventional Islamic schools. The Scheme has been introduced to 17 centres countrywide and aims to provide functional literacy and numeracy coupled with life and livelihood skills. Moreover, 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, and books to mentoring. In order to make sure that children take advantage of the free education that has been made available to the public, free transportation has been made available in both rural and urban areas, by the provision of school buses and donkey Carts to ferry children to and from schools. Tremendous success has also been gained in expanding access to education across all levels. Schools have been brought nearer to homes within 2km from the community. Building schools closer to the homes of the students contribute to providing safety and security especially for girls, as they have to walk shorter distances to and from the school. Under the Third Education Sector Project Phase 1, (1998-2006) and Phase 2, (2006-2011) the Ministry of Education was able to build classrooms throughout the country supported by various donors to improve access to quality education for all Gambians. Additional resources from the Education for All or Fast Track Initiative (EFA/FTI) and Global Partnership for Education (GPE) have also greatly contributed to the provision of additional classrooms and provided the impetus to accelerating access to basic education. Bringing schools nearer to homes to a large extent has helped in reducing the incidences of sexual harassment, abuse, teenage pregnancy and early marriage. The development of appropriate policy has also contributed to closing the gender gap. 76