By Makutu Manneh
Rohey Malick Lowe, Mayor of Banjul has embarked on a campaign to better the lives of Gambian women in all areas of development.
Mayor Lowe is on a nation-wide tour to sensitize women and also to formulate REFELA Gambia National Chapter executive across the country.
REFELA is the network of locally elected women of sub-national and local governments in Africa. This platform was launched in the Gambia in October 2019.
Mrs. Lowe is the president of REFELA Gambia and on Saturday 21st November 2020, she and her executives visited the West Coast Region.
Women in the West Coast Region met with the Mayor at Brikama. Different cultural groups performed during the event and some of the Women group leaders articulated their needs to Mayor Lowe.
The first female Mayor in the history of the Gambia informed a group of women from West Coast that REFELA is a non-partisan platform.
“This platform is for all Gambian women and a place for us to discuss our problems despite our political affiliation,” she said.
She said the platform is for women to celebrate and encourage each other.
Mayor Lowe urged women to embrace and contest in every aspect of political positions especially at local government elections.
She said for the past 15 years, REFELA was not established in the Gambia because there was no Gambian woman with high position in local government administration.
“What men can do, we women can do it too. Gambia women must benefit if women are tried,” Lowe stressed.
She vowed to continue supporting women, saying that women are very important in development.
She said under her leadership in REFELA, she does not want to see young women and children on the streets selling or begging, but to see them in schools acquiring education.
Lamin A. Sanneh Brikama South National Assembly Member, during the event said the gap between women and men in the areas of employment and elections in the Gambia must be broken.
“REFELA is here to put an end to that and women must embrace this platform,” he said.
Musu Kebba Jarjue, a member of the cross border women group said they encounter many difficulties and need support to tackle those problems.
She said they want projects that will bring change in their work and livelihood.
Kaddy Faal Bojang Lady Councilor for Brikama South urged women to be members of REFELA as it is in the country to support them.
