allAfrica.com: Gambia: Vice President Opens National Women's Day Celebration (Page 1 of 2)

Here is His Excellency President Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh's speech delivered by Her Excellency the Vice President Dr Aja Isatou Njie-Saidy at the July 22nd Square yesterday

It gives me great honour and pleasure share with you the celebrations of the 2008 International Women's Day in The Gambia.

The Theme for this year's celebration which is, "investing in women and girls' focusing on financing for gender equality and women empowerment is not only timely but also relevant to The Gambia context.

I would like to take this opportunity Madam Chairperson to welcome our guests from the ECOWAS Sub Region and beyond who are here to validate the ECOWAS Gender Strategic Plan under the coordination of the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre. Banjul is a beautiful city and I have no doubt that you will take time to visit places and make friends.

Let me also at the onset salute you and the Gambian women for turning out en-mass and making this day a success. The role and contribution of women in National Development cannot be quantified. As mothers, wives, care givers and decision makers, you continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of this country and Africa in general.

Your contribution to The Gambia's national development cannot be over-emphasized, you have been steadfast in your support to Government in many and varied ways.

In the area of politics, you women are the engine of success; you have contributed and continue to contribute in the social and productive sectors, have occupied key decision -making positions in Government and are managers of your own businesses.

My gratitude also goes to the majority of Gambian women in the informal sector Production, Processing and Marketing. With the meagre incomes you earn, you are able to contribute to household food, health and education of your children. Today so many of us are living in good conditions because of our mothers, aunts and sisters who engaged in petty trading, horticulture or subsistence rice farming.

The challenges women face are numerous due to the traditional and cultural barriers that inhibit their participation in the major economic and political decision making processes. That is why about sixty percent of the nominated members of Parliament are women.

My commitment to the empowerment of Gambian women and attainment of gender equity and equality is well known. I have been appointing and nominating women in decision making positions both at national and international levels. The Gambian for the first time has a Cabinet where the percentage of women is a little above thirty. The position of Vice President, the position of Speaker of the National Assembly as well as other key positions in the Executive and Judiciary are occupied by women.

If women are given the opportunity, they tend to overcome the barriers to their socio-economic empowerment; for example, almost eighty percent of the female nominated to contest for elections in recently concluded local Government elections won as a result of my personal support and the capacity building initiatives of both my Government and Non Governmental organisations.

Also female members of the security forces have excelled in the execution of their duties and have lately benefited from promotions and training packages as well as participated in peace keeping missions.

Unfortunately women and girls, despite the numerous interventions by all stakeholders since 1975 and beyond, continue to be mainly responsible for household chores and reproductive work and are not in control of decisions affecting their life.

Therefore, my Government will continue to undertake initiatives, with the objective of ensuring that women and men have equal opportunities in political participation and decision- making as well as access to, control, and ownership of resources. This is because the gaps between men and women are too wide, and requires urgent action by all stakeholders in the public and private sector as well as donor partners.

The Gambia has signed and ratified major International and National instruments such as the CEDAW and Protocol to the Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa geared towards promoting women's and girls rights. The Gambia Government in 1980 established the National Women's Council and Bureau in response to the implementation of the recommendation of the International Conference in Mexico in 1975.

The Gambia also participated in the 1995 Conference of Women in Beijing and soon after that, the First Policy on the Advancement of Gambian Women was formulated and enacted by Parliament. However, effective implementation of the policy is challenged by lack of adequate human, material and financial resources which are not unique to The Gambia alone.

To ensure the effective implementation of CEDAW and the Protocol to the Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, a review of all laws related to women and gender was conducted and a Women's Bill drafted.

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