18 Political Parties Endorse Landmark Communiqué on Women’s Political Participation in The Gambia

Eighteen (18) out of twenty-two (22) registered political parties in The Gambia have signed a historic communiqué committing to concrete reforms to advance women’s political participation and representation, following the successful conclusion of a two-day National Conference on Women’s Political Participation and Representation.

The conference, held from 15–16 December 2025 at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center, was convened by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) through the EU-CODE-funded project, in partnership with the National Assembly, National Human Rights Commission, Gambia Press Union, and the CSO Gender Platform.

Held under the theme “Breaking Barriers, Building Power: Advancing Women’s Political Participation and Representation in The Gambia,” the conference brought together a broad spectrum of national stakeholders to assess the state of women’s political participation and agree on actionable reforms ahead of the country’s next electoral cycle.

Conference Delegates acknowledged that while The Gambia has made notable strides in democratic reform, women remain significantly underrepresented in political decision-making. Currently, women hold only 8.6% of seats in the National Assembly, 14.2% of Cabinet positions, and are similarly marginalized in local governance despite constituting more than half of the population and the majority of registered voters.

The conference reaffirmed The Gambia’s obligations under national, regional, and international frameworks, including the Women’s Act, National Gender Policy, CEDAW, the Maputo Protocol, ECOWAS Gender Policy, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 5 and 16).

Deliberations highlighted entrenched patriarchal norms, economic and campaign finance barriers, the absence of enforceable gender quotas, limited political literacy and leadership training, political violence and harassment, including digital violence, gender-biased media narratives, weak party support structures, and inadequate family and community backing for women aspirants.

By adopting the communiqué point by point, stakeholders resolved to:

• Strengthen women’s political participation through gender-sensitive electoral reforms, including lowering nomination fees, introducing gender quotas in electoral laws, and enabling civil servants, particularly women, to take paid leave to contest elections without reproach.
• Enhance women’s representation in decision-making by instituting a minimum 30% gender quota within political parties, leadership structures, and candidate nomination processes, alongside mentorship and leadership pipelines.
• Promote safe and inclusive political environments through the enforcement of laws against gender-based and political violence, provision of security for women candidates, and establishment of independent reporting and accountability mechanisms.
• Mobilize resources and partnerships, including advocacy for a national women’s political empowerment fund, dedicated party budgets for women candidates, and strengthened collaboration with civil society, the private sector, and development partners.
• Amplify women’s voices and shift public perceptions via fair media coverage, national awareness campaigns, engagement with traditional and religious leaders, and expanded use of local languages and digital platforms.

The communiqué was formally adopted through motions moved and seconded by representatives across political parties, independent members, youth and women’s organizations, local government, and national institutions, culminating in final adoption moved by H.E. Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang, Former Vice President of The Gambia, and seconded by Mr. Joseph Colley, Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

In signing the communiqué, the 18 political parties joined civil society, state institutions, and development partners in affirming that women’s equal participation in politics is not a privilege but a democratic imperative.

The conference concluded with a collective call to the Government of The Gambia, political parties, civil society, the private sector, traditional authorities, development partners, and the Gambian public to translate these commitments into tangible action.