By Aminata Kuyateh
Members of the National Assembly on Friday concluded a three-day review and consultation on a draft Constitution Amendment Bill 2026 that seeks to reserve seats for women and persons with disabilities in parliament.
The event, held at Bakadaji Hotel was organised by IDEA with support from the European Union.
The engagement marked the final formal activity under the three-year programme, which supported parliamentary capacity building, institutional strengthening, dialogue, and inclusion-focused reforms.
The exercise led by the National Assembly Select Committee on Gender, Children and Social Welfare focused on strengthening proposals aimed at improving equity, inclusion and participation in national decision-making. The bill proposes the reservation of 14 seats for women and two seats for persons with disabilities to address persistent underrepresentation, despite women making up more than half of the country’s population and voters.
Chairperson of the gender committee, Hon Fatoumata Njai described the bill as a defining opportunity for the Sixth Legislature and urged lawmakers to support reforms that would broaden representation. She acknowledged the leadership of the National Assembly and the role played by IDEA and the European Union in providing financial and technical support for the consultations.
IDEA country Director, Jainaba Faye said the consultations marked a key moment in efforts to advance inclusive democracy. She noted that the Bill builds on evidence-based discussions, the December 2025 National Conference on Women’s Political Participation and lessons drawn from a 2024 benchmarking visit to Kenya. She stressed that the proposed amendments focus on legitimacy and effectiveness, not just numbers, and aim to align national law with constitutional principles and international obligations, including disability rights commitments.
She also said the conclusion of the consultations marked the end of the EU-funded CODE Project, which has supported parliamentary capacity building and inclusion-focused reforms since 2023. She reaffirmed IDEA’s commitment to continued technical support.
The EU Deputy Head of Mission to The Gambia, Raphael Brigandi, said the Draft Bill responds to a clear democratic imbalance and remains a Gambian-led process. He clarified that the European Union’s role is to support national institutions and share experience, noting that gender quotas in Europe have contributed to improved representation, even as full parity remains a gradual process.
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, formally opened a sensitisation workshop held alongside the consultations, describing inclusivity as a key measure of parliamentary strength. He said the proposed committee-sponsored Bill addresses historical gender gaps in political representation and stressed that leadership and decision-making are shared national responsibilities.
He called on lawmakers to build consensus beyond partisan lines and pledged continued political and administrative support to ensure women’s voices have a permanent place in national discourse.
