Nationwide Community On Increasing Access to Justice and Women’s Political Participation In Jarra Soma (LRR).
On November 22nd, we received a warm welcome in Jarra Soma (LRR) as we continue our journey to enhance access to justice and strengthen women’s political participation. The session opened with individual prayers, followed by an opening statement delivered by Ms. Anna Jaiteh on behalf of FLAG’s President.
Ms. Lala Touray is leading an insightful discussion on the barriers to women’s political participation and representation in The Gambia, with participants confidently engaging and taking ownership of the conversation.
This activity is supported by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) through theEmbassy of Canada to Senegal
Ms. Haddy Dandeh Jabbie shared key insights on the laws protecting women in The Gambia, highlighting the constitutional guarantees of equality, and women’s rights to vote and run for office. She also emphasized the protections provided under the Women’s Act and international instruments such as CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol.
Despite these frameworks, she noted that implementation gaps and societal barriers continue to hinder women’s full participation. She encouraged women to read and understand the Constitution to better advance their roles, responsibilities, and leadership. Ms. Jabbie stressed that promoting these rights is crucial for achieving gender equality and building inclusive governance structures for women and persons with disabilities.
Participants especially women expressed strong and thoughtful views on how their communities are governed.
Particpants at the Community Engagement in Soma (LRR)
The engagement brought together women community leaders , grassroot political actors, aspiring female politicians and other key stakeholders to build knowledge, skills and confidence in active political participation.
Our resource persons Lala Touray deliberated on Campaigns, Financing & Fundraising while Muhammed S Bah took us through the nitty gritty of #communications and #branding skills.
The insightful session focused on strengthening women’s capacity to run effective political campaigns by understanding the essential tools needed for success. Participants explored how to craft a clear campaign message, identify target audiences, build strong communication strategies, and structure effective campaign teams. We also explored participants comprehension through #Pre and #Post tests.
The session examined the critical role of campaign financing—one of the biggest barriers for women in politics. From limited personal income to restricted access to donor networks, women often face significant financial obstacles. The session provided strategies to overcome these gaps, including accessing party support, building financial literacy, and forming community-based support networks.
Our discussions on fundraising highlighted practical approaches such as community contributions, institutional support, individual donors, and event-based fundraising. Participants were encouraged to adopt transparent, ethical, and creative fundraising practices while staying compliant with national laws on political financing.
Strengthening women’s leadership requires not just knowledge, but access to resources, networks, and supportive structures. By building financial confidence and campaign skills, women are better positioned to take up leadership roles and influence decision-making at all levels.
Together, we continue to push for inclusive and gender-responsive and persons with disabilities political participation.
This activity is supported by Canada Fund for Local
Initiatives through (CFLI) through Embassy of Canada to Senegal