By Rohey Samba
The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) on Friday, 24th October 2025, officially launched the Women’s Political Coordination Network at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre. The initiative aims to strengthen women’s participation in political decision-making across The Gambia.
WFD, which opened its country office in The Gambia in 2018, focuses on supporting the building and strengthening of democratic processes. With support from the Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), through its GIA program for 2025/2026, WFD has implemented a project on Women in Political Leadership (WPL). The network was designed to facilitate coordination, information sharing, and joint advocacy efforts to increase women’s representation in governance.
Tabu Sarr Njie, WFD Executive Director, said, “We cannot achieve genuine democracy without gender justice, which must extend to women and girls, including those living with disabilities.
Despite making up half the population and the majority of voters, women remain significantly underrepresented in governance and political decision-making. We commend the Government of The Gambia for promoting and protecting women and girls through legislation and enabling partners like WFD to contribute to their advancement.”
Since its inception, WFD’s main partner has been the National Assembly, which also hosts the country office. The foundation works globally to make political systems more inclusive and accountable, ensuring all citizens have equal rights regardless of sex, disability, ethnicity, or religion to participate in decision-making and hold institutions accountable.
Honourable Fatou Kinteh, Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Welfare, emphasized the government’s support, saying, “Women have a role to play in leadership, and when they lead, they succeed. The government will ensure a conducive environment for women’s equal access and full participation in governance.”
Martin Nourman, Deputy Head of Mission at the British High Commission, highlighted challenges women face in public life, including online harassment and disinformation. “This network is crucial to give women the tools and confidence to take on leadership roles,” he said.
The steering committee of the network and executive members were introduced at the launch.
Degan Jobe, the newly appointed chairperson for the network, said, “The Gambia cannot achieve sustainable development without the full participation of women in political life. Our vision is to create a Gambia where every woman, regardless of background, has the opportunity, capacity, and confidence to participate in decision-making and shape the destiny of our nation.”
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By Rohey Samba The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) on Friday, 24th October 2025, officially launched the Women’s Political Coordination…
The post WFD Launches Women’s Political Network to Boost Representation appeared first on .
