The West Africa Regional Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR-WARO), the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) – The Gambia, and Article 19 organized a training workshop dedicated to forty aspiring female candidates for the upcoming 6 April 2017 National Assembly election from the APRC, GDC, GMC, PDOIS, PPP, UDP political parties as well as some independent candidates.

Much progress has been made in the Gambia to advance the plight of women and to recognize the important role women can play in decision-making. However, the limited participation of women in very important decision-making processes particularly at the grassroots has been a cause for concern. Nationally, less than 10% of the 53 elected and nominated parliamentary representatives are women and out of 115 national councillors only 14 are women.

The training derives its activities from the recommendations made to The Gambia following reviews by international human rights mechanisms, including the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in July 2015. Its concluding observations include the following recommendations : “Strengthen efforts to promote women’s representation in decision-making positions, including at high levels in the Government, the National Assembly, the judiciary, the decentralized bodies and in the civil service at the national, regional and local levels”.

The workshop was opened by Ms. Ade Lekoetje, the UN Resident Coordinator in The Gambia and Ms. Nancy Niang, the Permanent Secretary of the Minister of Women’s Affairs. During the first day, participants were trained on human rights and elections, the electoral process in The Gambia, the duties and responsibilities of elected public officials and campaigning planning. This training provides them with tools to seek electoral offices and to organize election campaigns. As a result of this workshop some recommendations were formulated on how to strengthen the position of women in Gambian politics.

The implementing partners, WANEP – The Gambia, OHCHR – WARO and Article 19 strongly recommend that the National Assembly passes a gender parity bill to enhance women’s participation in politics in accordance with the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action and African Union Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa.

Date and venue :
28 February - 1 March 2017, Banjul, The Gambia

For more information on the CEDAW :
http://www.ohchr.org/FR/HRBodies/CEDAW/Pages/CEDAWIndex.aspx

Contacts :

Mariana Gomes Neto
Email : mgomesneto@ohchr.org
Tél. : +221 77 740 46 65
Site : www.westafrica.ohchr.org