Even In Prison, you made me realize we have rights! In Honour of Dr. Isatou Touray

Even In Prison, you made me realize we have rights!
Honour of Dr. Isatou Touray

Dear Isatou,

I write to honour you on Mother’s Day. As I grew up as a young broadcaster little did I know that I would cross roads with you. In the early 1990s, I did. When I met you through GAMCOTRAP, I was deeply interested in how do I know more about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other harmful traditional practices and also to contribute to informing and educating women and the general public about it through broadcasting. Even though I knew what I wanted as a young girl, it was through your influence that I was able to learn and understand gender dynamics in our society. You gave me opportunities to read about gender and engage as a young woman with great feminists around the globe.
I have seen your belief and trust in me. You are honest to me when we engage at professional level. Yet you have offered me advice and guidance in both my work and in my personal life. Our relation base on sincerity and justice is recognized by many people who know me and when I am not with you, the first question people ask me is “where is Isatou?”

Isatou, we may have different personalities but you have inspired me in many ways, including believing and pursuing my dream. You gave me courage to belief in myself and be passionate about life. I have learned a lot from your sense of justice, promoting human rights and your belief in women. You made me realize that if I do not demand my rights, people will trample on me, abuse me and take what rightfully belongs to me. You have stood by me when it was tough and gave me courage in difficult circumstances.

Over the years your guidance has contributed to my professionalism and maturity in advocating the rights of women and girls. Your deep sense of commitment has influenced and inspired me to realize that coming from humble beginning is a virtue in pursuing justice and equality for women.

Perhaps you may not realize how much influence you have on my activism but I admired you most when we were in prison. I admired how you took your activism work into the prison, amongst prisoners and prison officers. Indeed, there was a revolution amongst the female prisoners. You made us realized that even though we were prisoners, we were still human beings and have rights. You inspired us to support each other and to realize that we were not slaves to the officers. Perhaps the best thing you did is for the prison officers to respect the rights of the prisoners.

Indeed you are a mother not only to your biological children, but to the extended family of the larger human race. Thus, I honour you in the cause for the protection, equality and justice for women and children.

With admiration,

Amie.