While individuals and opposition parties struggle for change in upcoming
elections, I would like to bring to the attention of the masses the concerns
I have as a media practitioner and a woman.
What guarantee do we have that the mass media, Gambia Radio and Television
Services - GRTS in this case will practice according to constitutional
requirements for freedom of expressions, that is without discrimination
based on gender, political affiliation, ethnicity or religion?
That editors and producers have their professional say in what is broadcast
and are not going to repeat the negatives points of censorship and fear of
dismissal.
According to IEC figures, most voters are women, about 75% of whom are
illiterate, and the majority of these are women; will GRTS be used as a
tool for enlightenment for the masses and not only a mouthpiece for those in
power?
The present situation may seem as tokenism, but it has brought to the
attention of the masses that it is possible to have women as leaders in
national affairs. Where will women stand when there is change? Are they
going to be chosen as leaders with power, window dressing to mask gender
politics or just as yai compines to be used as and when it suits the
politicians?
How will the selection processes of political parties ensure fair and
sincere selection of eligible women to stand for municipal, chieftaincy and
parliamentary or presidential elections? I do not think it is fair to have
the example of Minatta Njie in the last parliamentary election. She had
just finished school, young and inexperienced to stand for election, even
though I admired her courage to take to the challenge.
Are women’s concerns to their right to take informed decisions on family
planning contraceptive use, to understand why they should not condone
traditional practices such as early marriage, female genital mutilation,
nutritional taboos for pregnant women, forced menopause, rape, and more
recent phenomena such as HIV/AIDS, baby dumping, back-street abortion and a
host of other concerns that affect them be left to the mercy of some men who
are after their selfish interest no matter what women go through?
Remember that at present, most oppositional views including so called
sensitive issues are suppressed in GRTS programmes and are they going to do
the same when the opposition are in power? Or we don’t want to risk our
votes attitude is going to play?
Is there going to be so much emphasis on revenge that priorities for the
masses will be marginalized?
And finally are commitment to policies and conventions be just a collection
from conferences, workshops at long hours of meetings for academic exercises
or implementation for the people on whose behalf they have been put
together.
As some of us recover from the Tabaski feast, these are issues to give
consideration.
With great concern,
Amie Bojang-Sissoho.
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
