Project
Enhancing Women’s participation in Democracy in The Gambia
- Gambia
- January 2013
The project aimed to promote the involvement and participation of women in electoral processes and democratic governance. Following the decision of all but one of the opposition parties not to participate in the National Assembly elections, the grantee expanded the project to the local government elections.
Project activities included focus groups about women’s rights to encourage active representation of women in the community decision-making processes. Open forums and regional radio programmes generated knowledge and vibrant discussion among the wider public. A capacity building scheme combined training, mentorship, and experience sharing. The project effectively questioned entrenched cultural norms and pervasive religious beliefs. However, in spite of the project’s advocacy activities and the provision of training and mentoring number female candidates in the local government elections was lower than during the previous 2006-2008 cycle.
💡
- Women's empowerment
- Gambia
- January 2013
The project’s ultimate impact on the representation of women in the Gambia was rather limited, but this was owed to developments outside the control of the grantee such as the boycott of the election by the opposition.
💡
- Women's empowerment
- Gambia
- January 2013
More work is required to address the low level of debating and campaigning skills among many of the women trainees.
Those women who stood for election but were not successful could have been better prepared. Trainees expressed their interest in further training and continued mentoring from the grantee.
💡
- Women's empowerment
- Gambia
- January 2013
Participants in the project reported that their self-esteem had improved and that they were more empowered to become involved in politics. Some of the women have become effective leaders and agents of change. Of those women standing in local government elections, 80 per cent had been trained by the project. To mainstream these efforts, the grantee could lobby government, opposition parties, and the Independent Electoral Commission to include a statutory requirement for a minimum representation of women in National Assembly and local government
💡
- Women's empowerment
- Gambia
- January 2013
The project’s manual was praised both by trainers and trainees for being a comprehensive introduction to the principles of democratic governance. The materials and outputs of the project including a documentary video could be used to reach a wider group of women via the grantee’s website.