By Alieu Ceesay
Banjul South parliamentarian Fatoumata ‘Touma’ Njai has revealed that she is working on reintroducing her private member’s bill designed to guarantee at least 16 seats in the National Assembly for women.
Ms Njai’s attempt to get the bill passed failed in February 2022 because of a lack of quorum at the Assembly. Some feminists alleged there was a conspiracy by some male members to prevent the bill from progressing through the stages.
A similar bill just passed in Sierra Leone where Ms Njai is currently attending a forum on women’s proportional representation in politics.
She commented: “The Gambia should emulate Sierra Leone. It is quite heartwarming to see Sierra Leone pass the bill and that’s why I am more willing to see it happen in The Gambia. The groundwork has started and we are consulting all stakeholders,” she said.
Speaking at the Freetown forum, Sidie Mohamed Tunis, speaker of the Ecowas Parliament, urged the body to accompany The Gambia to pass a gender-equality law. “I have already started a conversation with the majority leader Billay Tunkara regarding the gender bill. We want to engage all national assemblies and stakeholders on this issue,” he concluded.
