Her Excellency Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, the First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia on September 20, 2019, was honoured with the Distinguished Global Award for Excellence on the sidelines of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly by the Global Empowerment Movement (GEM-USA). The award was in recognition of the work that she does to reduce extreme poverty, assisting marginalized rural women, girls and vulnerable children in The Gambia.

The First Lady was celebrated for her dedication and selfless work in various initiatives, including Children on the Move, to positively impact the lives of the people ensuring that no woman, youth or child is left behind.

Madam Barrow has been exemplary at using her platform as First Lady to making a difference in terms of development and the protection of the rights of Gambian women and children with the support of various Government departments and development partners.

Present at the event were members of the Gambian mission and community, as well as representatives of the Nigerian First Lady amongst others.

GEM-USA is an international non-governmental organization that gives support to underprivileged women and families who are vulnerable to victimization/crimes of abuse, human trafficking, forced prostitution, and provides education to bring these heinous crimes to the attention of others.