By Olimatou Coker
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has called for stronger participation of women in political leadership and decision-making in The Gambia, urging political parties and other stakeholders to create meaningful opportunities for women to contest elections and assume leadership positions.
This call was made during the launch of a Capacity Building, Electoral Preparedness, Manifesto Development and Intergenerational Leadership Support Workshop for Aspiring Women Leaders, organised under the Building Resilience and Inclusive Development for Governance and Equality (Bridge) Project held at Bakadaji Hotel.
The Bridge Project is financed by the African Development Bank and implemented by UNDP to support inclusive governance, women’s leadership, accountability and institutional resilience in The Gambia.
The launch was held with a three-day training workshop for women aspiring candidates ahead of 2027 National Assembly and local government elections.
Thomas Kimaru, speaking on behalf of the UNDP representative, said the initiative was aimed at translating commitments to gender equality and inclusive governance into practical opportunities for women and young people.
He said the Bridge Project forms part of a broader African Development Bank-financed initiative implemented in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and South Sudan to strengthen gender-responsive, transparent and accountable governance systems, expand women’s participation in leadership and decision-making, support civil society and build resilient and inclusive institutions.
He noted that women remain significantly underrepresented in elected positions despite accounting for 51 per cent of The Gambia’s population and 57 per cent of registered voters.
“In the 2022 elections, only three women were elected to the National Assembly and 17 as councillors,” he said, adding that the initiative seeks to contribute to the achievement of the RF-NDP 2023–2027 target of at least 30 per cent women’s representation in decision-making positions.
He described political parties as important “gatekeepers of democracy” and called on them to create meaningful opportunities for women by removing barriers, supporting leadership development and ensuring fair access to nominations, campaign opportunities and decision-making structures.
Fatoumata Sanneh, communication office at Women In Liberation and Leadership (Will), said the building pathways to political leadership project aims to strengthen women’s participation and representation in The Gambia’s democratic process.
Despite years of advocacy and training, women remain underrepresented in political and decision-making spaces. The initiative seeks to address this by providing women, particularly young women, with access to skills, mentorship, information and networks to support their political leadership.
She added that women are already leaders in their communities and the project seeks to create pathways for that leadership to translate into meaningful participation in formal political spaces.
She said as women they cannot keep waiting for the right time for them to lead.
Habib Jarra, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Welfare, called on women not only to focus on local government and National Assembly, but also that women should aspire at the highest level.
He further explained that the training is significant because democracy cannot be fully inclusive when women remain underrepresented in political decision-making. Women’s political participation is not simply about numbers or representation. It is about voice, influence, and power to shape decisions.