By Sirrah Touray
Key stakeholders in governance, civil society, development partners,and political institutions on Friday gathered for the official launch of a comprehensive report on Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP), underscoring the urgent need to protect and promote women’s participation in leadership and democratic governance in The Gambia.
The event, organised by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), brought together National Assembly Members, diplomats, representatives of political parties, civil society organisations, women leaders, development partners and members of the media.
Presenting the report, Yadicon Njie Eribo, coordinator of women affairs at WFD explained that violence against women in politics has become one of the major barriers preventing women from accessing political leadership and decision making spaces. She said the report highlights how women experience intimidation, harassment, psychological abuse, digital violence, and targeted exclusion, particularly during elections, within political parties, and in public office.
According to her, the research conducted under WFD’s Gambia Inclusive and Accountable Programme, examined the experiences of women at different political levels, analysed the role of political institutions, security agencies, and the justice system, and assessed the growing impact of online abuse and harassment. “Findings revealed that many women hesitate to report incidents of violence due to fear of stigma, retaliation, and limited confidence in institutional response mechanisms,” she said.
Speaking at the launch, a representative of the British High Commission Harriet King, reaffirmed their commitment to promoting gender equality and safeguarding women’s political participation and called for stronger institutional accountability, legal reforms, public awareness, and collective action by government, political parties, civil society, the media, and development partners to create safe, respectful, and inclusive political spaces.
The organisers reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the report’s recommendations and strengthening partnerships to ensure that women are not only present in political spaces but are influential, respected and protected.
