PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Gambian women present position paper on national constitution
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) – Groups under the banner of Women’s Bureau have presented a position paper to the Gambia’s Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) as the “national consultation” progressed ahead of the drafting of the country’s new constitution.
Fanta Bai Secka, Executive Director of Women’s Bureau who led the pro-women groups to CRC’s headquarters in Kotu, Gambia, presented the “Gender Position paper” to the commission’s chairman, Justice Cherno Sulayman Jallow.
The groups have called for equal representation of women in all sectors of development and in all senior management positions within the country as well as granting land ownership rights to them.
“We did justice to the CRC’s issue document at a review meeting and we have been keenly following the consultation process,” Mrs Bai Secka revealed during the presentation ceremony with the CRC officials.
“Women issues are cross-cutting as women are everywhere. Therefore, we are hopeful that our voices will be heard. It is high time that women are represented and the new constitution has a female face,” she emphasized.
Reacting, CRC Chairman, Justice Jallow commended the groups for their contributions to what he described as a ‘historic process’.
“It is a life-time opportunity that we should all seize upon to ensure that not only do we participate in the constitutional review process but that we come up with ideas that will assist in framing the new constitution,” he said.
Justice Jallow emphasized that the CRC values contributions from individuals and groups and assured the women groups that their documents will be thoroughly looked at.
He underscored the point that national unity and social cohesion are fundamental in the execution of the commission’s mandate.
While noting that not everything can be in the constitution, he added that all the submissions would be of great significance in the review process.
Other CRC Commissioners also took turns to react to the presentation of the Gender Position Paper.
-0- PANA MLJ/AR 4Jan2019
Fanta Bai Secka, Executive Director of Women’s Bureau who led the pro-women groups to CRC’s headquarters in Kotu, Gambia, presented the “Gender Position paper” to the commission’s chairman, Justice Cherno Sulayman Jallow.
The groups have called for equal representation of women in all sectors of development and in all senior management positions within the country as well as granting land ownership rights to them.
“We did justice to the CRC’s issue document at a review meeting and we have been keenly following the consultation process,” Mrs Bai Secka revealed during the presentation ceremony with the CRC officials.
“Women issues are cross-cutting as women are everywhere. Therefore, we are hopeful that our voices will be heard. It is high time that women are represented and the new constitution has a female face,” she emphasized.
Reacting, CRC Chairman, Justice Jallow commended the groups for their contributions to what he described as a ‘historic process’.
“It is a life-time opportunity that we should all seize upon to ensure that not only do we participate in the constitutional review process but that we come up with ideas that will assist in framing the new constitution,” he said.
Justice Jallow emphasized that the CRC values contributions from individuals and groups and assured the women groups that their documents will be thoroughly looked at.
He underscored the point that national unity and social cohesion are fundamental in the execution of the commission’s mandate.
While noting that not everything can be in the constitution, he added that all the submissions would be of great significance in the review process.
Other CRC Commissioners also took turns to react to the presentation of the Gender Position Paper.
-0- PANA MLJ/AR 4Jan2019
