Life stages in Gambia

Childhood is legally defined as being under 18 under the Children's Act 2005. Children have rights to protection, education, development, health and inheritance, while child marriage, exploitation, trafficking and harmful practices are prohibited. The Department of Social Welfare under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare can register children needing special protection and arrange assistance or accommodation for children who are lost, abandoned or seeking protection. Bakoteh Shelter for Children and Eveline Schouten School are among the named facilities. The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education covers early childhood education for ages 0 to 6 through formal and informal provision, but access can be limited by poverty, location, disability, gender norms and school dropout. Birth registration is handled through the Births and Deaths Registry Unit and the electronic civil registration and vital statistics system under the Ministry of Health. Registration commonly involves a health-facility record, an infant welfare card and identification or passports for the parents. A birth certificate supports later access to identity documents and public services, although a single nationwide fee and waiting-time schedule is not established in the available evidence. The National Youth Policy 2019–2028 defines youth as ages 15 to 35, so people aged 15 to 17 can be both legally children and part of youth programmes. Common transitions include moving from school into vocational training or skills programmes, work, entrepreneurship and civic participation. The Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Department of Youth and Sports, the National Youth Service Scheme, the National Youth Council and the National Enterprise Development Initiative are relevant providers, but eligibility and support depend on the programme rather than on a universal youth payment. Adulthood has no single national ceremony or status rule; practical independence usually develops through education, livelihoods, work and household or community responsibilities. Age 18 is a central legal boundary for childhood and valid marriage, while people aged 15 to 35 may still fall within youth-policy programmes. Care for older people and dependent adults has no established universal long-term-care scheme, national care fund, standardized care grades or generally documented nationwide fee schedule. Households and communities provide much of the care, with additional case-based involvement from the Department of Social Welfare, disability and psychosocial support services and Bakoteh Home for the Elderly. The 2024 population estimate included 73,054 people aged 65 or older, or 3.0% of the population. National planning identifies poverty, isolation and abuse risks, as well as gaps in older-person policy, health-insurance coverage and data. The African Union Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons had been ratified by April 2024, while a dedicated policy, stronger data and insurance coverage were still recorded as outstanding. Social protection can support life transitions and shocks, but access is not automatic because of age alone. The 2026–2035 National Social Protection Policy involves the National Social Protection Agency, the Gambia Social Registry and the Yakarr Call Centre. NAFA provides unconditional cash transfers to extremely poor households, with implementation involving the Department of Social Welfare, the National Nutrition Agency and community development structures. Registration, coverage and payment arrangements depend on the programme and household assessment. During child-protection cases, disasters, displacement, migration or return, assistance may involve social welfare referrals, police, shelters, psychosocial support or the National Disaster Management Agency, which can provide cash, food or non-food assistance. These pathways vary by region and case, and no single nationwide deadline or cost rule applies.