The Gambia conducted a peaceful campaign and presidential election, but tolerance for political and ethnic diversity are the must-needed behaviours that can sustain tranquillity in the country. The country went to polls on December 4, 2021 and the incumbent Adama Barrow has been declared the winner after amassing 53 percent of the total votes cast, beating his main challenger Ousainu Darboe, leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), by more than 200, 000 votes. However, a bit of controversy ensued the following day after the election as three opposition candidates from the UDP, Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) and independent candidate Essa Fall called a joint press briefing in Fajara to reject the results without providing any evidence of malpractice. This created panic in the country as supporters of the UDP gathered in numbers at Darboe’s residence. Faal though has since withdrawn stating that there were no sufficient grounds to claim against electoral fraud. The Police Intervention Unit was deployed to disperse the crowd using tear gas. Youth and peace advocates have since been calling for political tolerance and respect for diversity. “For us to maintain the peace that we are known for in this country, we should be able to respect and accept diversity, and most importantly, promote unity at all times," Bakary Sonko, National Programmes Coordinator of Peace Hub – The Gambia, said. He said everyone has the responsibility to maintain the peace of this country and everyone has the right to belong to any political party. However, citizens must respect laws, tolerate each other’s differences and exercise their franchise during the election and maintain peace afterwards. Sonko believes that politicians are the right people to convince the masses to maintain peace, the primary role of politicians during and after the electoral periods is to advocate for peace alongside their manifestos. “Political parties have a bigger role to play. They have the responsibility to counsel their party militants to support without any form of insult or negative stereotypes towards other groups,” he emphasised. Jeopardised by politics The Global Youth Parliament’s Regional Coordinator for West Coast Region, Kemo Fatty, said The Gambia's peaceful atmosphere must not be jeopardised by politics. He advised youth and women to be agents of peace and desist from all forms of violence. “They must be engaged both day and night to ensure tranquillity in the electoral process,” he said. Meanwhile, Fatou B.S. Badjie, Co-Founder of Girls in The Frontline for Development (GFD), said political leaders should always prioritise peace dialogues at all their fora. She said women groups should be involved in the implementation of peace initiatives at community levels. GFD is built on advocacy pillars such as peacebuilding, prevention of violence, and tackling gender-based violence. “We all have our fundamental human rights in which you have the right to assemble, the right to belong to any political party... So, we should understand that politics is not here to divide us, instead, it gives the platform to express divergent views that would help the country to grow,” Badjie explained. In as much as everybody has the right to support a candidate or a party, Badjie said everyone must also be committed to promoting peace and that must start at individual level. “Peace has to start with oneself. If you are not peaceful, you cannot help others to maintain peace. One has to understand how important peace is to ourselves, and then we will know how important it is to the entire nation," she said. The Gambia is still a fledgling democracy, which is struggling to break from its brutal past, and does not seek a repeat of the 2016/2017 crisis, which saw thousands of citizens fled to neighbouring Senegal to seek refuge following a disputed election. Although two opposition parties contest the results, all the international observers including five former African presidents and local observers have described the outcome as free and fair. The Gambia’s three-year election cycle continues in April 2022 with a parliamentary election in which 53 seats are up for grab and in March 2023 with a local government election in which 2 mayoral and 5 chairperson seats are up for grab. Therefore, the advocacy for diversity, tolerance and peace remains highly needed in the country’s political discourse ahead of these crucial votes.
Gambians urge IEC to ensure privacy for persons with visual impairment. click to listen to more: https://soundcloud.com/user-140623569-423216487/persons-with-visual-impairment-need-better-voting-system
The rise in the price of basic commodities in The Gambia for the past few months is unprecedented and rather challenging for low-income earners. The rise in prices isn’t showing no sign of decline weeks after Gambians re-elected Adama Barrow. The Gambia is a country with 48.5% of the population living below USD 1 a day. The current level of inflation in the country is becoming a nightmare for consumers whose expenditures are higher than their earnings. The situation, which remains hostile for low-income earners, necessitated their call for concern of price hike of goods. In Gambia, the inflation rate measures a broad rise or fall in prices that consumers pay for a standard basket of goods. Inflation rate in The Gambia increased to 7.34 percent in October from 7.01 percent in September of 2021. While food inflation increased to 8:80 percent and interest rate increased to 10:00 in October 2021, according to the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS). The Central Bank Governor, Buah Saidy said at a press conference on 8th September 2021 that the main drivers of food inflation were rice, vegetables, oils and fats, sugar, jam, honey and sweets, and other food products. He added that consumer price inflation on food and non-alcoholic beverages accelerated to 11.5% during the review period compared to 5.2% a year ago. Meanwhile, the World Bank also revealed that the headline inflation started increasing in January 2021, driven by food price increases, which is undermining household food security, but said it decelerated slightly to 6.9% y/y in August 2021. Consumers’ complaints Ebrima Mboob, 38, of Manjai and breadwinner of his family said feeding is the most expensive thing in the Gambia, right now. He complained that even D500 is not enough for the daily sustenance of the family (fish money) as a kilo of meat now costs D300. He lamented that all his monthly earnings go into family feeding, while other bills such as school fees, health care, water and electricity are being taken care of by his wife and siblings in Europe. “Even one does multiple jobs; it would be difficult to take care of his family needs alone. You must seek support from other relatives to help solve family needs,” he said. Fatou Jarju, 40, fishmonger at the Wellingara market said addressing the recent rise in the inflation, especially on basic commodities should be the priority of the re-elected president, Adama Barrow. She said the little profit she makes from her business does not benefit her as it all goes into the needs of her family. “It’s been five months now, I have not saved even D100 because from the little daily sales I make, I use that to sustain my family. My husband cannot do it alone. I have to assist him. The bills are also there and they should be settled and none of my children have graduated yet, they are all going to school,” the 40-year-old fishmonger said. A single mother at Sinchu Baliya, Saffiayatou Sanyang, 52, is scared that she might be a street beggar, if the situation remains unchanged. Sanyang, has been a mother of four, and a widow for the past 4 years who lives from hand-to-mouth through laundry service to put food on the table for her 4 children. She said if fish could cost D100 while she goes to market with D150; there is a high tendency that her family would not consume a balanced diet. “The recent increase in inflation should be a concern for everyone, not only the government. D200 of daily fish-money is no longer enough for families because fish alone cost D100 and above; while a cup of vegetable oil costs D25 that was sold for D10. Prices keep increasing and the government is not doing anything,” she decried. Since the change of government in 2017, the country has been experiencing different waves of price hikes as inflation continues to rise. Expert observation Former Accountant General and one-time Finance and Economic Affairs Minister in the Barrow led administration; Amadou Sanneh said the government should encourage many investments by Gambians and improve inflows of the foreign exchange as well as to improve the exchange rate and strengthening of the Dalasi. He said the Dalasi is falling and one has to factor in the valuation of the currency. “Sound macroeconomic management, financial management of the economy will ensure inflation comes down and there will be price stability and the exchange rate needs to be checked,” Sanneh suggested. The Gambia Government in a dispatch dated 23rd March 2020 introduced measures to control prices of essential commodities using the Commodities Emergency Powers Regulations, 2020. The development followed complaints from vendors and consumers about the exorbitant prices of essential commodities, especially basic food items, which sparked panic among buyers in the country. Another former finance minister, Abdou Colley said the inflation rise affects the consumers’ purchasing power and their ability to buy and consume goods; adding that it is also an effect on the rise in price of commodities which affect consumers ability to consume and maintain their pattern, likewise their welfare. “Its number one consequence is a reduction in growth. It slows down growth, meaning if the price of goods is increasing, then the consumption pattern is affected which leads them to reduce the quantities they purchase and this would lead to a slowdown in growth in the economy,” Colley explained. The former finance minister further explained that the rise in inflation also affects international competitiveness. “Gambian goods become relatively more expensive compared to other goods. Whereby Gambia’s ability as a country to export goods to other countries is affected and this reduces the country’s competitiveness. So, inflation affects growth in the economy and the competitiveness of the economy and also consumers’ welfare,” he said. NPP Gov’t Mitigation plan The National People’s Party manifesto states that the NPP Government would encourage and support improved agricultural productivity and livestock production. It explains that agricultural policies would seek to propel production and productivity through mechanisation to boost supplies at local markets for affordability by consumers. The NPP government aims to invest in the private sector to increase the surface of consolidated irrigated land with technological enhancement to the ideals of mechanisation; as well as to work with the private sector and all other interest groups to build storage facilities across the country for both local and industrial farmers to add value to agricultural crops and products such as fruits, vegetables and flours.
Youth unemployment continues to be a major problem propelling irregular migration thus youth in Kanfing Municipal Council call for employment opportunities. click to listen https://soundcloud.com/user-140623569-423216487/youth-in-kanifing-municipal-council-call-for-employment-opportunities
In The Gambia, women represent more than half of the population (50.5%) according to a 2013 Population and Housing Census by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics. Women also form the majority of registered voters by about 58%. Despite this, the political arena in the country is largely dominated by men. Women are also underrepresented in relevant positions within political parties and the civil service. For instance, out of the 16 registered political parties, none has a woman party leader. Most women are active in political parties as supporters, mobilizers, and voters – not decision-makers. Pull her down syndrome Despite winning the mayoral seat in Banjul, Rohey Malick Lowe still recalled the bullying, stereotypes and the “pull her down syndrome” she went through during her campaign for election to the mayoral seat. The “pull her down syndrome”, also referred to as the “PHD”, is a term that refers to the act of women bringing each other down. More generally, women castigate and mudsling other women who are striving for representation or success in a male dominated world, instead of standing by and supporting their fellow women. Lowe said the insults and harassment that were directed at her made her strong and strengthened her resolve to become the first female mayor of Banjul, Gambia’s capital city. Mayor Lowe was a successful businessperson before travelling to Swiss where she did her studies. These challenges and other major obstacles are what women face in their attempt at full political participation. According to studies, it is a complex issue as it can be traced back to a number of institutional, historical, socio-economic as well as cultural factors. Household responsibilities, low self-esteem, illiteracy, few role models and lower expectations were also found as the key reasons that stop women from participating in politics. Financial constraints But it is not only about the lack of support from fellow women that is militating against their political participation and chance at holding decision-making positions, a lack of finance is also a problem. In the 2018 local government election, Ndumbeh Sallah of the Gambia Democratic Congress contested against three men for the Sabiji ward councillorship seat under the Latrikunda Sabiji constituency. She lost after securing only 444 votes out of a total number of votes of 3307. “One of my biggest challenges during the campaign was financial constraints, a lack of a proper campaign team and mobilisation techniques,” she said. For that election, Sallah was all by herself, with no coaching or mentor to tell her what to do or not to do and how she could win the minds of voters. This needs to change, she said. "There should be enough advocacy for both women and men, to change the mentality of cultural and traditional beliefs about women because Gambian women are determined,” she said. “I think if we have proper advocacy, at least, we would have equal representation for women." For the fact that she was the only female contesting in the ward, she complained that she was also bullied and harassed by her male opponents as well as her fellow women during the process. “They were seeing me as someone who did not know what to do because for them they thought that women can’t hold a political position. I also received a lot of insults from them, especially on social media,” she recalled. Ndumbeh Sallah, Gambia Democratic Congress (Photo downloaded from Ndumbeh’s Facebook handle)Sallah was not the only female candidate who faced financial constraints, a sign that political parties are not financially supporting women candidates as they would for the men. Women must support women Fatou Janneh ran on a PDOIS ticket for the Kunkujang Keitaya ward in the Old Yundum constituency during the councillorship election. Janneh, who lost with 9.06% of the votes, said her party sponsored her, but the funds were ‘not enough’. But she is still determined to contest again. “When I lost, I just took it in good faith and know that there is always a chance and hope for continuity. It motivated me to stand firm in politics and ready to tackle the coming challenges and strategize ways to win the coming elections,” she said. However, Janneh said women must support their fellow women if they want to achieve equal representation and to hold places in decision-making processes.Fatou Janneh , PDOIS (Photo downloaded from Fatou’s Facebook handle) Despite women representing a larger percent of the electorates; their numerical strength has not, however, been reflected in the number of women in governance and leadership positions at both national and local levels. For twenty years, only three pro-women laws have been passed by the National Assembly- the Women’s Act of 2010, the Domestic Violence Act 2013, and the Sexual Offences Act 2013. Yet, women remain politically marginalised. Political parties exploit women Activist Tabu Njie-Sarr blames the low representation of women in the political arena on patriarchal society. “We live in a patriarchal society. Socio-cultural barriers do not encourage women to lead,” she said. Njie-Sarr, who is also the coordinator of the CSO Gender Platform, said that “violence or threats of violence often serve as obstacles to women’s political participation. Such violence takes a variety of forms including character defamation, harassment, insults, sexual violence, and assault.” She added that there is a need for proactive laws that will ensure women are well represented in decision-making processes. “Even in political parties, women are exploited because they’re only relegated to cooking, clapping and dancing and we see this as exploitation because by the time decisions are made these women are already tired [and would not even have a seat on the table],” she observed. She also called for affirmative actions through the National Assembly and political parties to ensure a 30% quota system for women representation. The Gambia has not introduced the quota system in meeting the 30 per cent target for women’s political participation and representation in the National Assembly and public positions respectively in line with the AU Solemn Declaration. This becomes more relevant in the political arena and decision-making at all levels, where women are not legally barred from participating effectively on an equal footing with men, but may not be able to do so due to cultural biases in favour of men, and stereotypical perception of the role of women - as noted in the 2012 study on Women’s Political Participation and Representation in The Gambia. In the 2017 elections for the National Assembly, 53 seats were up for grab, and all went to the men except three (3) for women. One was returned unopposed and three others were nominated. Female representation in the National Assembly is less than 11 % and falls far below the 50% and 30% recommended by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Inclusive decision-making processes The Gambia domesticated the CEDAW, which it ratified in 1993, into a Women’s Law in 2010, and ratified the Maputo Protocol (...on the Rights of Women in Africa). However, women have yet to fully realise the political rights provided by these instruments. At the cabinet level, there are only four women among 23 ministers. The challenge of inequality in politics does not stop there; it runs down to the local leadership level where women constitute only eight out of the 120 councillors in the country. Essa Njie, a political science lecturer at the University of The Gambia, said women’s participation is important in many ways because “it promotes inclusive decision-making processes.” He added participation in decision-making is also a form of empowering women. He said for there to be equal representation, the laws should be strengthened and provide the legal framework that would allow equal representation for women. This should start with the Constitution and the Women’s Act, which would lead to affirmative actions. “We need a quota system in the Constitution which would allow political parties to put certain percentages of women when it comes to decision-making processes like the parliamentary and local government elections,” Njie suggested.
Journalists continue to face violence and intimidation for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression.These threats are often rife during elections. In the run up to the parliamentary elections, Our Sheriff Saidykhan zoomed into the need for safety. Click to listen to more: https://soundcloud.com/user-140623569-423216487/gpu-calls-for-safety-of-journalists-ahead-of-parliamentary-elections