Women constitute a large percentage of the human population, and contribute significantly to the social, economic and over all development of the society through their various roles as mothers, home managers and peace-builders among other numerous roles. As their counterparts in the sub-region, Gambian women are engaged in formal and informal employment, domestic chores, community work, and child bearing and rearing during their lifetime, their womanhood is only defined by their latter role which gives them the very important task of shaping the attitudes and outlooks of future generations of men and women at a very early stage.
For example, women work far longer hours than men as their work day may be up to 50 percent longer as their activities within the productive and reproductive sectors are closely intertwined. The gender division of labor entails a combination of farming work, childcare and household duties. According to a recent World Bank study, women perform about 90 per cent of the work of processing food crops and providing household water and fuel-wood; 90 per cent of the work of hoeing and weeding with primitive instruments; 80 per cent of the work of food storage and transportation from farm to village and 60 per cent of the work of harvesting and marketing.
In spite of their numerous contributions, they have been marginalized and denied adequate access to opportunities for meaningful development. As a matter of fact, women have been denied opportunities to participate in decision-making and implementation in issues that affect them. Women have very little decision-making power even regarding their health and that of their children. This has contributed to the high fertility rate of 6.0. Women start childbearing at early ages of 15 – 16 and continue up to 40 – 45 and at short intervals, thus the reason for the maternal mortality rate of 1,050 per 100,000 live births, one of the highest in the sub-region.
Agreeably, the international community has made important commitments to women’s rights and equality between men and women, as can be seen in the Beijing Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and a host of other international conventions. As a result of these, the National Women’s Council and Bureau was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1980 to advise government on women’s issues and concerns. National Policies have now placed high priority on women which are base on the rationale that broad-based development in general and economic development in particular cannot be achieve without the active participation and involvement of women.
In addition to the above, the government has responded to the call to women’s empowerment at decision making levels by setting up a Department of State for Women’s Affairs, appointing the first female Vice President in West Africa, a female Speaker of the National Assembly, almost ten women Secretaries of State in six years, a female Secretary General, Accountant General, Auditor General and also ratifying the National Women’s Policy for the Advancement of Gambian Women.
The unanswered question still remains: How far have these policies gone in addressing the problems women encounter daily? It is pertinent to ask the above question because the situation of women has only changed minimally as most women still live in total ignorance and abject poverty.
To be candid, the world owe the women folk a duty to move them out of the cycle of hunger, misery, poverty, illiteracy, discrimination and disease to a better life. Until we achieve this, any talk on gender equality will be nothing short of mirage. The global trend this day is to focus on gender equality. But then, one is to ask: Is gender equality a myth or reality?
Women may reach dreamy heights, explore the world, master the masses, but within the confines of their homes, they continue to be treated like slaves! They still enjoy the secondary status in their own homes. Now, we think that things are improving. But, actually they are as bad as ever.
I’ll conclude with the words of Meenakshi Madhur in 'listen to thy heart and heed what it says!'
Listen to thy heart, oh woman
Heed what it says !
Listen to it despite the din and the noise.
Listen to it even if sometimes it may make you lose your poise.
Listen to it when it cries out loud and clear.
Listen to it when it palpitates in fear.
Listen to it when it wants to dare and enjoy.
Listen to it when it wants to just play coy.
Listen to it to get a clue and to find who you are.
Listen to it to get closer to dreams that seem so afar.
Listen to thy heart, oh woman
Heed what it says !
Heed what it says !
Listen to it despite the din and the noise.
Listen to it even if sometimes it may make you lose your poise.
Listen to it when it cries out loud and clear.
Listen to it when it palpitates in fear.
Listen to it when it wants to dare and enjoy.
Listen to it when it wants to just play coy.
Listen to it to get a clue and to find who you are.
Listen to it to get closer to dreams that seem so afar.
Listen to thy heart, oh woman
Heed what it says !
