By Mariam Williams
Bridging Gaps Advisory, in collaboration with International Trade Center (ITC) and SheTrades Board, recently held the 3rd Edition of Women’s Leadership Forum at Paradise Suit Hotel in Kololi.
Held under the theme “The Power of Inclusion’’, the Forum’s overall objective is to serve as a platform for a structured exchange between Women and political, socio-economic leaders towards meaningful gender parity reforms, and also consolidate current commitments in closing the gender gaps, especially at decision-making levels.
Speaking at the Forum, Madam Ramatoulie Barry-Gaye, the CEO of Bridging Gaps Advisory, recalled that the women’s leadership forum was initiated to further their commitment to the strategic development and advancement of women. “Also to provide a platform for our women to discuss issues, share information and network”, she added.
Noting that the two previous editions of the WLF have attracted hundreds of participants, mostly women of diverse backgrounds and age groups, CEO Barry-Gaye said that’s a manifestation of the need for regular gathering of women to discuss issues relevant to their advancement.
She refreshed to mind the September 2015 gathering at the UN Headquarters in New York, when world leaders adopted, and committed themselves to, the Sustainable Development Goals, indicating that global landscape should be redefined to be more enabling and inclusive; and that the landscape should place women, men and children in implementation plans.
The CEO held, “It is a widely known fact that the inclusion of women in economic, social and political activities drives development in The Gambia.”
She singled out the high number of women entrepreneurs in the formal sector who do not have the opportunity of transitioning to formal sector.
As the Bridging Gaps Advisory top official noted, these women entrepreneurs are constrained by multiple factors such as limited access to markets, finance and technical business skills.
Mrs. Barry-Gaye further explained that, one of their positive outcomes of last year’s event was the Women’s Leadership training which was held in Mbour Senegal, were they successfully conducted the training for Gambian women with the objectives of enhancing their leadership skills.
The Chairperson of SheTrades Board, Madam Naffie Barry, told the forum attendees that the SheTrades initiative in The Gambia is very much inline with the theme for this year’s Women Leadership Forum-“Power of inclusion”.
According to Barry, the project is doing this in two fronts: Firstly, empowering women owned businesses through trade for enhanced economic inclusion; and secondly, through the Gender Champion initiative.
Empowering women through trade could be an effective driver for the economic inclusion of women, which has potential to reduce poverty, argued Chairperson Barry.
“Enabling women to participate in trade and improving of micro, small and medium-sized can translate into increased trade, competitiveness etc.”, she opined.
