By Sirrah Touray
The Inter-Party Committee, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, has launched a nationwide election peace drive aimed at strengthening the participation of women and youth in The Gambia’s democratic process.
The two-day training, held in the Upper River Region, is part of the UNDP-led Inspire Project and brings together women and youth wings of political parties from across the country.
Fatima Sonko, the programme analyst for governance at the UNDP, said the objective of the training is to ensure that the young people and women are part of not just the electoral process, but the civic education because they actually bear the brunt of exclusion.
She noted that women constitute 51 percent of the population but remain underrepresented in politics due to social norms, financial constraints and unpaid care work.
Ms Sonko said the project also includes peacebuilding. “After elections are done and dusted we still have our Gambia to contend with. We are also going to be trained on conflict and mitigation measures and in promoting peace building because the peace that we enjoy cannot be compromised,” she said.
Samba Baldeh, Board Chairman of IPC and his team are spearheading the rollout across all regions.
Abdullahi Baldeh, representing the Regional Education Directorate, described the training as timely and called for political tolerance.
Lamin Jaiteh, Deputy Governor of URR, commended the IPC and UNDP for the initiative “It is a perfect opportunity. Let participants ask questions so that tomorrow they will go home with something to explain.”
Representatives from the Ministry of Gender, NHRC, ADRS and the IEC also attended the launch. Organisers said the peace drive will continue across all regions in the lead-up to the elections.
