You see Bamba lying Jallow, the depth of ignorance into which you have
fallen is beyond the limit human comprehension. I once said here, that it is
better to keep your big mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it
and remove all doubt. Even that self-opinionated narrow minded, Hamjatta
having analysed this issue, albeit from a different perspective, did not
dismiss as another APRC propanda stuff. This is a classic UDP gaffe. Read
this from Hamjatta:

"Women and any other  group that does not feature heavily in national life
for that matter will be **encouraged** through sensitisation - not by
"gender activists" but by the State through its department responsible for
information and or education - to be active participants in both civic and
state insitutions and or life". Here i hasten to emphasize that such
**encouragement** has no no truck with affirmative action, preferential
treatment and reverse discrimination. In a truly liberal order,
discrimination will cease to be a divisive because it would invariably be
defeated by progress and if it is lucky to be left with any remants, be
consigned to the fringes of obscurity".

The gist of his reaction is that whereas he supports the idea of the
upliftment of our women folk, he does not support the idea of affirmative
action. This, he believes, is counter productive. I have no problem with his
believe here.

What is being done here, is to try to approach this very sensitive subject
through ENCOURAGEMENT and GRASSROOTS PARTICIPATION. In this endevour,
debates are held in both the public and private media. In schools also the
debate on this is ongoing. Twinning impressionable young girls with ladies
of statute who, against all odds, made it in life, being in business,
education agriculture or in any area for that matter is to help develop that
DESIRE and DETERMINATION to succeed in them very early on. This, if
successful, will destroy the myth that women cannot lead respectable lives
both as career women and as mothers. This exercise, I hasten to add, is not
only directed at girls. Boys are being sensitized and encouraged to lead
responsible lives, not to cut short the potentials of these young girls by
irresponsibly getting them pregnant. They are also sensitized to accept the
fact that girls are equally capable of achieving anything that men can.
During one of the many radio programmes on this subject, a lady caller made
this observation: "Empowering women through the enlightenment  of our
society should go hand in hand with modalities to help them achieve economic
independence". Every sane person knows that most of the wealth of this
country is in the hands of very few people, almost all of them men. Our
inheritance system encourages this, our marriage traditions do likewise. How
many men marry very bright young girls, impregnate them year in year out, at
times when they could have developed themselves further? These same men,
having denied these young girls the chance to develop their carriers, will
turn around and just divorse them on the flimsiest of excuses. How many men
would marry some one they've met at work only to turn around a few years
later and force her to leave her job because he wants his wife to
concentrate on bringing up their children? Do you honestly believe that if
the majority of the NAMs were women that the obnoxious indemnity bill would
passed so easily? Get real Bamba.

The callousness of the UDP manifests itself in the way the UDP propaganda
secretary portrayed the respectable women who are trying to further this
noble objective as schemers, whose only goal is to get nominated as NAMs.
With over 50% of our electorate being women and elections just around the
corner, why antagonize them? His attitude towards this noble objective could
have gone unnoticed, if the papers were not being broadcast in english,
wollof, mandinka and fulla every day. There was a phone-in programme on the
radio today and most of the callers expressed the view that the current
exercise in enlightening our folks, men and women, is a noble one. There is
even talk of individuals and organizations to set up some form of foundation
to help finance the candidature of women who, while not supporting any of
the existing parties, can stand for elections as iindependent candidates.
This is because, many of our national assembly members have failed us
miserably and our political parties, with the exception of PDOIS are not
sincere. How can you reconcile the selection of some of the dumbest people
around by these parties? The fact is, they only care for themselves. As far
as these parties are concerned, the end justifies the means.

Next time before you just jump to react to things, think about them well
enough to come to a sensible conclusion. Narrow mindedness is very
dangerous. Have you asked yourself why, even idiots like Mboge, Ansuman
Kujabi et al are staying mute on this one? Even Makeveli had little to say
except, like some other myopic bigots on this forum, express his support of
Hamjatta.


Have a good day and bye 4Now, KB Jobe.
>
>----Original Message Follows----
>From: Bamba Laye Jallow <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: THE JOKE>>Re: CALLOUS UDP.
>Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 10:09:07 -0700
>
>Mr. Joke the clown,
>
>I thought your logic was just twisted but i'm beginning to think that >you
>are insane indeed!
>
>See, your problem is that the level of your emotional intelligence is >far
>lower than that of Waa Juwara and that of others, that's why you could >not
>see the logic in what he said below. Or should I say that you are >trying
>to
>test the level of logical sophistication in this forum? Or just
> >deliberately
>attacking UDP regardless of making sense or not. Your tactics are
> >equivalent
>to those of a desperado with the lowest level of logical sophistry and
> >will
>be exposed to the max.
>
>This one is off the mark. So try amother recipe. They all stink anyway!
>Chumm!
>
>
>"When the UDP propaganda secretary was asked about his opinion of these
>ongoing activities, he replied that WOMEN HAVE NO REASON TO COMPLAIN. >When
>asked about his opinion of gender equality and the participation of >women
>in
>politics, he said "When we talk about gender equality, this has >nothing to
>do with participation of women as professional politicians. The >decision
>of
>someone to go into politics as a profession depends on the individual >and,
>there is no gender bias attached to it at all". According to him, there
>exists no party for males only. He accused our women educatinists of
>"SCHEMING TO BE NOMINATED INSTEAD OF PUTTING A FIGHT."
>
>
>
>Abdoulie A. Jallow

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