The Gambia is a small country both in land area (4,127 square miles) and population (approximately 2.2 million people) on the west coast of Africa. The West African Network for Peace Building (WANEP) trains women in political participation and leadership at the regional and national levels. All participants receive the Women's Leadership Handbook.


As a background, women in the Gambia represent 51% of the population and produce 70% of the food. Still, only 11.5% of the members of the National Assembly and 23.5% of ministers are women, and women currently do not have a strong voice in The Gambian society.


Why is this political training essential then? Gambian women are transforming horticulture into a profitable industry. Over the past decade, at least 6,600 women have organized themselves in 33 community gardens. These women farmers are now growing high-value crops that attract international market demand, such as chill pepper and okra, instead of traditional crops grown mainly for subsistence. Evidence indicates that horticulture yields a higher return per investment, meaning that the vegetable gardens bring more money into the pockets of the beneficiaries. In addition, these diverse crops increase the availability of and access to healthy food at the local level, thus contributing to improving food and nutrition security across rural communities.


Based on women's greater involvement in the growth of The Gambia's economy, it is natural that women should have a role in the Gambian government because they both have equal (maybe even a bit more for women) input into this economy. The training into the political process will begin to educate women on how a government works and that their participation is a benefit in their burgeoning horticulture industry. It will take some time because The Gambia is a patriarchal society, and change may be slow. Interestingly enough, the women received training in conflict prevention too. This example of small-scale and focused training may work in many countries where women are marginalized in the political arena and cannot participate.


We continue to see how women have had a positive impact in government worldwide. As seen in other African countries, the key is organizing the women for success. Do women have an equal role in your local government? If not, what must change at a local level? Organizing a group, using existing women's groups, attending government meetings, testifying, showing interest in the process, etc., are all positive and proven ways for women or minority groups to impact local government.