“We always find ourselves in forums where we make commitments, but we don’t end up with practical solutions.”she’s right.
The Gambia’s numbers tell the uncomfortable truth. Women are 51% of the population — about 1.24 million people, per the 2024 Census. Yet their presence in the National Assembly, councils, and party leadership does not reflect that reality. As Banjul South MP Fatoumatta Njai put it, this is not just a “woman’s issue”.
It is a democratic deficit. A democracy cannot function fully when half its population is underrepresented where laws and budgets are decided.
KAS Resident Representative Jonathan Nowak framed it correctly: gender-balanced representation is not only about fairness. It strengthens governance, sharpens accountability, and brings diverse perspectives into decision-making. Laws on land, health, education, and security look different when women are in the room drafting them.
Njai pointed to proportional representation systems used across Africa that give women and underrepresented groups better access to elected office. With a new electoral cycle in December and the Elections Act being implemented, now is the time for national dialogue on electoral reform. Quotas, party list requirements, or reserved seats are not favors. They are corrective measures for structural barriers.
Jonathan Nowak cited legal, institutional, economic, socio-cultural as aspect. Each needs a response. Parties must finance women candidates, not just nominate them. Media must cover women’s policies, not just their appearance. Communities must reject violence and intimidation against female aspirants. The Gender Committee of the National Assembly must turn oversight into action.
Voice only matters when it converts to seats. FLAG has spent 19 years using legal aid and advocacy to advance women’s rights. That work must now be matched by political parties recruiting, training, and funding women, and by voters choosing competence over gender stereotypes.
The Gambia has led on paper. We were first to ratify the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls. Leadership on paper must now become leadership in Parliament and council chambers.
“Women in Power” is a good theme. The harder work is “Women in Office”. Forums like Saturday’s are useful only if they produce a roadmap with deadlines, responsibilities, and budgets.
December’s election is a test. Will parties field more women? Will voters elect them?
Democracy is stronger when it sounds like all of us. It’s time to make that true.
What single reform — quotas, party funding rules, or civic education — would move the needle fastest for women’s representation before December?