Gambian women march for rights

Mama Janneh

Women in politics and decision-making positions are areas of concern to the National

Policy for the Advancement of Gambian women, and the present involvement of women

in politics is a case in point.

In February 2002,three women were elected from rural  communities to the National Assembly of the Gambia. They are Bintanding Jarju, Duta  Kamaso, and Ndey Njie.

Three Urban-based women were nominated and one of them is the  deputy speaker of the Assembly. Presently, three secretaries of states including the vice president are women. Two other women stood for the 2001 National Assembly elections but failed to be elected.

They were Amie Sillah from one of the opposition parties in the country and the other was Bajen Sosseh, an independent candidate.

It was a bit hectic but I finally caught up with the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Belinda Bidwell, and asked her about how she felt about being nominated.

She said; "It is indeed an honour to be nominated and also a great step forward for me and other women. Politically, this is a welcome step towards women’s empowerment and participation in politics and public life"

Amie Sillah who stood for elections and failed to be elected for the second time said that  she has been in the political arena for 21 years and just celebrated her silver jubilee with her husband.

Asked if she will ever contest for elections again she said "I will never look back. When the next elections come I will contest again. I  believe in the struggle for women’s rights and responsibilities and my husband is always there to support me’ She said there is still need to encourage women in politics and decision making.

She asked: "Could these decisions be made without consideration given to the national advocacy on gender equality?"

Sillah  called on all women to rally behind their fellow women and not to look at the opposition part of it.

Another nominated National Assembly member Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay  said that the president of the country believes in women empowerment  that is why women are occupying such positions today she said, "sometimes when I thank his Excellency for this some will say I am government propaganda but this is not so"

Honourable Jahumpa recently organized women’s Solidarity  March pass during the July

22 celebrations of 10 years of AFPRC rule, that is the present government. The march

constituted women from all government and private work places. The women formed  a

coalition   signing a declaration showing their loyalty to the president. Many

eyebrows were raised because of this march, some really taught that women were

forced to march.

I spoke to a youngster and asked him how he felt about women in politics he

said "politics in The Gambia are such that  if your wife gets into it you will end up losing

her"

However when I ask him to look at it from a gender perspective he goes on to say that

yes women should be given the chance.