The rural women of The Gambia have to be commended for their hard work and dedication to national development.
Their fundamental contributions to their households, the food production systems and national economy are well known, and deserves acknowledgement by the government and the international community.
They can be found busy working on their rice and groundnut fields, as well as busy taking care of the family.
They work all day, struggling with little support or no support for some of them.
The issues relating to the problems confronting rural women in The Gambia are many, and thus need concrete interventions.
Our rural women, irrespective of their political affiliation or faith, should be given more support and encouragement by the authorities.
Giving women farmers soft loans, farming inputs and bringing quality health care services to their communities could help boost the morale of our rural women.
Unlike the few educated women in the cities, in particular, many rural women in The Gambia are living very heart-breaking lives.
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Women’s Bureau should look into this matter, and do more for our rural women and Gambian women, in general.
Women cannot only be used to win elections, but rather we need to improve their living conditions first.
Women are hardest hit by poverty in this country, and are more vulnerable, as they own no land and are less educated.
It is very miserable that, even in this 21st century globalized world, Gambian women farmers still use 19th century farming implements.
We must think about this, and do something practical to uplift their living conditions.
