The
National Council for Civic Education (NCCE), in partnership with ActionAid
International-The Gambia, yesterday kick-started a two-day capacity building
exercise on promoting women and youth participation in democracy and elections
at the grassroots level.
Speaking
at the opening ceremony of the workshop held at Regional Education Directorate
2 Hall in Brikama, Alhaji Sering Faye, NCCE chairman, said it is their mandate
to educate, sensitise and raise awareness of people on their civic rights and
responsibilities.
He
pointed out the various awareness programmes they have had across the country.
He
also thanked ActionAid International-The Gambia for partnering with them.
“The
country can only develop if we know what our rights and responsibilities are as
citizens,” he stated.
Chairman
Faye described youths and women as the cream of the nation, saying they are the
people that will handle the mantle of leadership tomorrow, which is why they
thought it fundament to engage the youths and women in understanding moral
values and sound virtues.
The
training activity will prepare participants to know what democracy is about, he
added, saying one thing that stands out is tolerance.
“We
have to be accommodative, respect each other’s views, disagree to agree, but at
the end of the day put the interest of the nation first,” he remarked, as he
urged participants to actively take part in the democratic process of the
country at all levels.
“We
have to participate in the development of the country. It is not only enough to
say I am a citizen,” he said.
“When
we say power belongs to the people, it is not the people that go and decide
that this is what we should do, but the power that resides in us is for us to
elect who is going to do that for us,” he remarked.
He
urged participants to share the knowledge gained from the workshop with others
who could not be part of it.
He
finally thanked Brikama for opening their doors to them, as well as his staff
for carrying out the mandate of the NCCE.
Omar
Badjie, Executive Director of ActionAid International-The Gambia, in his
remarks, said the two institutions had engaged in various capacity building
activities across the country.
Good
governance and sound democracy are founded on how well these principles are
understood and practised at the household and community level, he noted.
He
said the training course focuses on women and youths, because the two
categories had been marginalised for a very long time.
Women
and youths constitute over 50 percent of the population and contribute in many
diverse ways to the GDP of the sub-region, and “yet women continue to be
sidelined and excluded in decision making and resource distribution”, he
observed, saying the level of political awareness among women and youths “is
very low”.
A
well-informed citizenry will result in a strong and active participation in
national affairs, to ensure the protection of rights and adherence to the rule
of law, he went on.
Women’s
low participation in decision making processes can be seen at many levels,
including their low representation at the National Assembly and local area
council level, he further said.
The
low participation of women in decision making includes but is not limited to
the following, which are poor skills, low literacy level, poor access to
information, as well as traditions and values.
Mr Badge further stated: “We have to promote
democracy because it promotes empowerment, participation, transparency and
accountability to be able to engage critically.”
People
living in poverty and exclusion have to take the lead in all these development
processes, he added.
Isatou
Bittaye, senior programme officer at NCCE, in her welcome remarks, said the
workshop was aimed at promoting understanding of women and youths participation
in grassroots democracy.
She
said the workshop also aimed at looking at the election process and involvement
of the public in decision making at all levels, as well as transparency and
accountability within democratic governance at central and local level.
“It
is important that we educate and sensitise youths and women, particular those
at the grassroots, on the importance of being involved in democracy and the
election processes,” she went on.
The
women and the youths have the ability to eradicate poverty in their
communities, Mr Badgie also said.
For
development to take place the capacities of women and youths will have to be
consistently built, he added.
He
described youths and women as important stakeholders in election, and as such
need to be aware of these issues in order to be part of the democratic processes
and participate effectively in elections.
Baboucarr
Secka, youth and sports coordinator at West Coast Region, deputised for
Governor Aminata Siffai Hydara.
