The Independent Published Friday, November 9, 2001

Women eye next presidential election



When The Independent in a scathing editorial criticised the scarcity of
women in Gambian politics, little did the paper’s editor know that he was
striking a volatile cord in the national political equation. That editorial
has now set the agenda for public discussion of the matter by many prominent
female activists.

Two female gender activists have declared that women would be among those
who would contest the next presidential election in 2006. Lawyer Amie
Bensouda a private legal practitioner and leading female activist and Fatou
Bom Bensouda a former Attorney General and Secretary of State for Justice in
an interview with this paper declared that Gambian women have another five
years to plan and map out strategies to contest and win the 2006
presidential election. Lawyer Amie Bensouda also a former Solicitor General
expressed confidence that women would be in the forefront of the
presidential race for State House in the next presidential elections .She
said from then in all other future elections in the country would give room
for a female aspirant. “We are encouraging women to come forward to contest
on any platform be it the ruling party, the opposition or as independent
candidates,” she stated.

Amie Bensouda laid the blame for the paucity of women in politics on
political parties who she believes are not encouraging women to contest
elections. “The parties would be loosing their greatest potentials to
victory by not encouraging the women” she observed. She said, “The
Independent has thrown in the gauntlet which I am sure a number of women
will take up.” The Parliament, she stated is the most important democratic
and representative political institution, and women’s participation in that
arm of government will impact greatly on their rights and
development.Bensouda maintained that Gambian culture has conditioned women
to be led always and not to lead.

Nevertheless, she appeared to have seen some ray of hope when she stated
that the situation is changing very fast as evidenced by the presence of
women in top management positions both within the public and private
sectors. The gender advocate however agreed that the time is not yet ripe
for Gambian women to contest presidential elections. “We will start from the
local government level where we can make the greatest impact and then move
on gradually to parliament to influence legislative change,” she promised,
emphasising that Gambian women would work before they attempt to run,
pointing out that it would be unacceptable for women who constitute a
majority to be absent from the National Assembly, which will mean that the
majority of the citizens are not truly represented.”

Also reacting to the same editorial another prominent woman activist and
former Attorney General and Secretary of State for Justice, Lawyer Fatou
Bomm Bensouda urged women who are interested in politics to summon courage
and break loose from the odds barring them from participating in active
politics. Like Amie, Mrs. Bensouda agreed with the editorial and decried the
absence of women in the recent presidential election. “It was rightly said
in The Independent editorial that there are many women who can competently
hold political positions more than men because they are not corrupt, instead
they are very reasonable and hardworking.” She was however quick to add that
there is an exception to the rule. She advised political parties to take the
initiative by encouraging and nominating female candidates during the next
parliamentary election.

The former Attorney General has no qualms with women’s capabilities to
fulfill the hectic demands of political office. “Women who have held high
public offices in this country have performed outstandingly well”. She saw
social and financial factors as responsible for the absence of women in
Gambian politics, rather than competence. “It could be that their husbands
or parents do not allow them” she added. Mrs. Bensouda called on society to
give women the opportunity to run for high public positions because
according to her, women are the kingmakers in the country since they
constitute a majority of electorate. She called on Yai Compins to encourage
their fellow women to come forward instead of promoting men, and pointed out
the need not to confuse gender roles with biological roles such as raising
children. “It is in women’s nature to keep things together which, with all
due respects men do not have,” she concluded.





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