By Ndey Sowe
The Young Women in Media and Information Literacy Initiative (YoMIL) has hosted The Gambia’s first annual national women in media summit, marking a milestone in gender representation in journalism and communication. The summit, held from May 23 to 24, brought together stakeholders to discuss challenges and opportunities for young women in the media.
The theme for the event was “Breaking Barriers, Building Futures: Young Women Redefining Media in The Gambia.” The project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), was co-implemented by rOg Agency for Open Culture and Critical Transformation, a Berlin-based organisation, and the Media Academy for Journalism and Communication (MAJaC).
The year-long initiative included media and information literacy training for 280 young women across all regions of the country, the production of a Young Women’s Media Guide and app, and the culmination summit.
“YoMIL began as more than just a project,” said James Badjie, Director of Training at MAJaC. “It began as a promise to bridge the vast gender gap in The Gambia’s media landscape, to confront the legacy of censorship and exclusion, and to ensure that the voices of young women are no longer missing from our national discourse.”
Nyima Jadama, the project’s initiator and content lead, underscored the significance of the summit. “This is the beginning of a collective—a movement that recognises the power of young women in shaping narratives, transforming communities, and challenging inequalities through the lens of Media and Information Literacy,” she said.
“As the initiator and content lead of the YoMIL Gambia project, this summit is the realisation of a vision born from a simple truth: our stories matter,” she added. “Our voices, as women in media—whether we are journalists, bloggers, content creators, communication professionals, or human rights defenders—we have the power to inform, empower, and ignite change.”
Dominique Buchholz, Adviser for Political Affairs and Public Relations at the German Embassy, praised the initiative. “The German government is proud to support this kind of initiative—initiatives that empower people to play an active part in strengthening democracy through media,” he said. “It is important for women to have a voice, and equally, women in media to have a voice.”
GPU President Isatou Keita emphasised the urgency of the project. “Information flows faster than ever. Truth is often contested,” she said. “Through this project, we have seen young women in the most remote parts of this country equipped with media literacy, grounded in ethics, trained in career resilience, and empowered to hold power to account.”
Government ministers Fatou Kinteh and Dr. Ismaila Ceesay described the summit as a beacon of hope. “When women thrive in media, society thrives in knowledge, representation, and empowerment,” they said, calling for sustained support for women in journalism.
