By Binta Jaiteh
Six political parties in The Gambia have pledged to enhance women’s representation in the country’s political landscape.
The commitment was made during a panel discussion on Tuesday at the SDJK Conference Center, organized by International IDEA in collaboration with political parties. The discussion focused on the low representation of women within political party structures and the need for a quota system.
Essa Faal, Party Leader of the Alliance for Patriotic Progress (APP), emphasized the importance of translating commitments into action. “Our commitments should not just be empty rhetoric. Since the inception of our party in 2021, we have maintained a principled decision to have a 50-50 cabinet, ensuring equal representation of men and women if elected. We also aim for a balance between youth and middle-aged members,” he said.
Faal added that inclusiveness is essential for addressing issues affecting women and youth effectively.
A representative of the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) highlighted that the party’s 2017 constitution includes a code of conduct promoting gender inclusion in all aspects of political participation. He noted that women play a pivotal role in national development and called for their empowerment.
Seedy Ceesay, NPP representative, commended International IDEA for convening the meeting. “This shows that political parties in this country take women’s empowerment seriously by including it in their platforms,” he said. Ceesay noted that while the NPP’s 2021 manifesto did not include a quota system, the party is working on a new manifesto to formalize commitments for women’s participation.
Halifa Sallah, Party Leader and Secretary-General of the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), stressed that political participation is a service to the country, not a privilege. “Our party emphasizes service over positions. Candidates are selected by members at the ward and constituency levels, not by party leaders,” he said.
Yakumba Jaiteh, representative of the United Democratic Party (UDP), highlighted that in 2018 the party amended its constitution to ensure at least 30% female representation in the executive. “Currently, seven out of eleven nominated members of the national executive are women, representing 35%. We will continue striving to increase these numbers,” she said.
Jaiteh also pointed out that lack of awareness, religious barriers, and cultural factors contribute to the low representation of women in decision-making processes.
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By Binta Jaiteh Six political parties in The Gambia have pledged to enhance women’s representation in the country’s political landscape.…
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