By Ndey Sowe
The Country Office of the World Bank Group in the Gambia has commemorated International Women’s Day, under the theme: “Empowerment for All Women and Girls.”
The commemoration aims to highlight and celebrate the remarkable achievements of women while advocating for gender equality and empowerment. The event brought together Ministers, senior government officials, distinguished guests, policymakers, activists and community leaders, to engage in meaningful discussions, keynote speeches, panel discussions and inspiring performances. This year’s theme for the International Women’s Day 2025 commemoration is: “Accelerate Action” which is a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources and activities that positively impact on women’s advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation.
The day is observed on March 8 annually and recognizes women’s contribution across various fields, and raises awareness about gender equality, and promotes women’s empowerment.
Frankin Mutahakana, the World Bank Country Representative in the Gambia said women should be celebrated every day, because ‘‘they are the pillars of society.”
He reiterated that this year’s theme resonates with the Group’s corporate objective of fostering women and girls’ ability to make strategic choices and exert influence over their lives and futures, that is alien to their preferences.
“Empowerment is not just a call. It is an absolute necessity and a critical driver of sustainable development. Empowerment is a process of change by which those who have been denied the ability to make strategic life choices acquire the ability,” he emphasized.
As such, he said the day serves as both a powerful reminder of the incredible achievements of women in the Gambia and the call to continue the work needed to ensure equality, opportunity and respect for women everywhere.
“He went on: “When women and girls are empowered, the entire community strives, economies grow and nations prosper.”
“Women empowerment is a cross-cutting field across our operations in the World Bank Group and projects, and we will place it very high on our agenda in our discussions with government, the private sector, civil society and all stakeholders. However, we also recognize that there is still much work to be done,” he said.
Fatou Kinteh, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare said this year’s theme is significant for all those working in the area of women, gender and development.
“If we want to see the change that we yearn for, we must accelerate actions as indicated in the theme for the celebration this year,” she said, calling for concerted efforts from government, international organizations, NGOs, the private sector, individuals and communities to bring a positive change.
