Ahead of the forthcoming National Assembly and local government elections about 40 women politicians from various political parties in the country met in Janjangbureh, Central River Region (CRR) to discuss ways and means of encouraging Gambian women to partake actively in politics.

Addressing the participants at Armitage Senior Secondary School ( the venue for the meeting), the lady councillor of Lower Fulladou West District, Fatou Trawally, who doubles as the vice chairperson of the National Women’s Council, underscored the importance of the sensitisation forum, noting that it was timely.

She emphasised that it is about time Gambian women took part in politics and be elected into the National Assembly as parliamentarians, as well as the local councils as lady councillors, among others, and not just to serve as mobilisers and dancers. According to her, the forum will also chart the way forward on how to nominate active and capable women to represent them in the Assembly. Madam Trawally however explained that there are lot of problems and challenges that are hindering women’s participation in politics, citing poverty, lack of political awareness, and political differences, among others, as examples.

For her part, the lady councillor of Janjangbureh, Mariama Manneh, underlining the significance of the forum, said it would avail them the opportunity to participate in politics and to contest for the forthcoming National Assembly election.In her closing remarks, the national coordinator of WANEP, Pamela Cole, thanked the participants for their active participation and urged them to spread the message to the grassroots level. She further stressed the need to increase the participation of women at the level of decision making, in order for women’s issues to be captured. 

Amie Sissoho, the project coordinator of UNDF;and WANEP’s focal person in CRR, Fatou Jammeh-Touray, also spoke at the ceremony.