By Aji Fatou Jammeh
The Westminster Foundation for Democracy in collaboration with British High Commission recently held a two-day seminar on ‘Inclusivity and Equality’ for National Assembly Members, subject matter specialists and staff of the select committee on Gender, Children and Social Welfare.
The objective of the seminar was to raise awareness and understanding of lawmakers on inclusion and equality.
Speaking at the event Hon. Maimuna Ceesay, nominated member of parliament said the budget of this country is a national cake that should be enjoyed by all citizens of this country, regardless of sex, race and ethnicity.
. “It is therefore of paramount importance that the resources of the nation are equitably distributed across all sectors of the economy, with particular emphasis on poverty reduction and the enhancement of quality of life for women and children,” she asserted .
She expressed sincere gratitude to the Westminster Foundation for Democracy for their continued collaboration and support to the National Assembly.
Ms Ceesay assured that the knowledge, skills and experiences that they would acquire during the two-day forum would help them better understand the mechanisms for effective advocacy and better resource allocation to vulnerable groups with particular emphasis on women and girls, with a view to improving their lives and livelihoods.
“This calls for a thorough review of our policies and priorities, thereby aligning them with global realities to enable The Gambia honour its international obligations on women’s equality, empowerment and development,” she further stated.
The parliamentarian urged the participants to acquire better skills and greater understanding of the concepts and skills of oversight needed to monitor all gender-related policies and programmes effectively and efficiently.
In conclusion, she calls for more proactive action in establishing monitoring frameworks that will enable them monitor progress of the implementation of all relevant programmes, policies and legal frameworks affecting women and girls.
