The training held in Janjubureh was spearheaded by the National Centre for Civic Education (NCCE), and was centred on grassroots mobilisation and campaign strategies.
Funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the initiative also forms part of the Programme’s Women Leadership Project.
At the event, Thomas Kimaru, head of the UNDP Women Leadership Project, revealed that they have the mandate to empower women, as the project was designed to advance that mandate.
He spoke of their resolve to work with community to change mindset as well as to work with government to change the laws barring women empowerment.
He said they would support women to contest in elections through capacity building, as well as other initiatives such as grassroots organisation to enhance the participation of women in politics.
The project, he added, is in line with the National Development Plan of the Gambia and UNDP will continue to help women to get the thirty percent of representation in public as well as position officers as in the National Development Plan.
For his part, Ousman Bah, governor of Central River Region, acknowledged women should be persistent in vying for political positions and that they should support each other in their endeavors.
He added that women should not leave all political positions in the hands of men, saying the development of the country cannot go without women and youth of the country.
He said women leaders should have dialogue and conversion with younger ones to inspire them.
Yusupha Bojang, Chief Civic Education Officer, reminded that women can empower each other to win parliamentary seats if they get the required skills.
“This training is going to address that. We want to see you the women in political positions,” he added.
Fatou Cham, lawmaker for Sanimentereng, encouraged her fellow women to come together and support each other for the well-being of all women across the country.
