By Arret Jatta
Officially presiding over the opening of a national forum on women political participation and leadership organised by the UNFPA First Lady Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow remarked that women’s political participation and leadership is beyond representation but about the building of an equitable society where diverse and marginalised voices can contribute to shaping the future.
The conference which brought together women from all walks of life celebrated the accomplishments and positive impact of a UNFPA funded initiative to strengthen women’s political participation and leadership. The project seeks to promote legislative reforms, community-level leadership, and political parties’ engagement to provide women with more space in politics.
“This project has been a driving force in advancing women’s political participation, resulting in a significant increase in women’s representation at the local level, being an extraordinary achievement for the Gambia,” Madam Barrow stated.
She added that the project also engaged traditional and religious leaders to raise awareness about the importance of women’s leadership and challenging cultural and traditional norms.
UN Resident Coordinator, Karl Frédérick Paul, disclosed that women represent over half of the Gambia’s population with 57% of registered voters but they are underrepresented in decision making processes.
“This project sought to change that narrative and today, we celebrate significant milestones that reflect our collective dedication to gender equality.”
The Minister of Women, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Fatou Kinteh, thanked the UNFPA and other implementing partners for supporting the project.
She reiterated that the government will continue to work with partners to ensure an enabling environment is created to empower women to take leadership roles, and actively participate in politics and governance.
