CSOs Call For 16 Seats To Be Reserved For Women, People With Disabilities In Parliament


The CSO gender platform and partners have renewed their call for the reservation of 16 seats for women and people with disabilities in the parliament.

They renew the call to the members of the parliament on Saturday while sensitising them about the constitutional amendment bill for women.

Speaking at the event Tabu Njie Sarr, an activist said reserving the seats for women and people with disabilities has been called for due to various factors limiting women and people living with disability, the opportunity to be adequately represented in key decision-making positions.

“We are all aware that the 1997 constitution has provision for equal participation of men and women but this is only on paper the factor or in practice is an illustration for women and people living with disability due to structural inequality and social differences between men and women and conditions of people living with disability. For more equitable societies, gender responsive legislation and programs, economic growth and prosperity, stronger families ,increased peace building”  healthier women protected from sexual and gender based,” she said. 

The chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Alieu Momarr Njie called on the members of parliament to approve the change of the 53 constituencies to 58 constituencies to have five seats for the Diaspora.

He added that the IEC would go around registering them because they still need 5 more seats for the Diaspora.

Njie said if that happens; his commission will make sure that they have more women for those seats.

Hon Foday Drammeh, National Assembly member for Tumana constituency assured his ‘fully’ support for the bill and called on his fellow members to support it so that it can be approved to make sure that women have more seats in the next parliamentary election.