Women at the heart of The Gambia’s democratic transition
In December 2016, Gambians stunned the world. Against all odds, citizens came together and voted out Yahya Jammeh, a dictator who had ruled with an iron fist for over two decades.
This relatively peaceful transfer of power that followed marked a significant turning point in the country’s democratic story. But while much attention has been given to the political opposition coalition, youth movements and Jammeh’s eventual exile, there remains one crucial force that often goes underappreciated: Gambian women.
Growing up in The Gambia, I witnessed first-hand the male dominated political arena. However, Gambian women were not just witnesses in the 2016 political transition, they were active agents of change. From mobilising communities to challenging repression, they helped tip the balance towards regime change, and they did this while facing cultural, structural, and institutional constraints.
Of course, women’s participation came at a cost. Many faced harassment, intimidation, and sexual violence for daring to step outside their prescribed roles. Jammeh’s militants brutally cracked down on activists, and anybody who spoke up against him. Yet this repression often had the opposite effect of what the regime intended – citizens were united in their pain.
The significance of Gambian women’s bold participation
In The Gambia, women make up more than half the population. They are central to the economy, particularly in agriculture and trade, and they hold enormous influence within families and communities. Yet historically, their role in politics has been muted by cultural expectations, structural inequalities, and outright repression under authoritarian rule.
Women’s involvement in the Nicaragua Revolution, democratic transitions in Chile, Liberia, and now The Gambia, has taught us that when women are at the forefront, the nature of politics itself can shift, towards inclusivity, resilience, and collective strength.
Understanding the environment; everyday struggles turned political
Jammeh came into power in 1994 through a military coup d’etat, ousting the Gambia’s first prime minister and president since independence, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara. Jammeh’s 22 year regime was marked by widespread human rights violation, arbitrary arrests, detention and murder of opposition politicians, civil servants and journalists, and more. Under Jammeh’s regime, political repression was woven into daily life.
The breaking point for many Gambians was April 2016 when a peaceful protest advocating for electoral reform ahead of the 2016 presidential elections was held. The crack down on this protest led to the death of Solo Sandeng, an executive member of the United Democratic Party (UDP) in police custody under allegations of torture. This sparked more protests by UDP leaders demanding Solo Sandeng’s body. They too were arrested, resulting in widespread outrage and resistance of Jammeh’s repression. Women stepped into the public political sphere in unprecedented ways, as presidential candidates, political activists, protesters, movement leaders and more, showing that democracy in The Gambia cannot thrive if they are excluded.
Ultimately, seven opposition parties came together and formed a coalition, with Adama Barrow as the presidential candidate. This coalition won the elections, but Jammeh refused the results. Several international organisations intervened, but the impasse was eventually resolved by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatening military intervention.
How women amplified their voices – formal strategies
In 2016, I was in the US for my bachelors, and most articles and journals on the 2016 transition of power omitted women, and their contributions. I took upon myself to speak to over ten different women and identify the various ways Gambian women contributed to this change. The results were inspiring.
Despite the dangers of organising under an authoritarian state, many women threw their weight behind political parties. Political party membership not only gave women a formal platform to channel their frustrations in political action but also created space for women to leverage patriarchal structures and collude with men, access resources and gain support for their interests.
In an unprecedented bid, IDS alumna Dr. Isatou Touray became the first woman to compete in a Gambian presidential election. This bold act served as an inspiration for many women to engage in politics, opening doors for other women to vie for the presidency in subsequent elections. Eventually, she withdrew her candidacy in support of the opposition coalition formed to challenge Jammeh.
For the first time in Gambian history, opposition parties successfully came together to challenge and win. Women were central to this effort, serving on coalition committees and leading the initiative. Fatoumatta Tambajang, a development and peacebuilding expert, has been praised for her performance as Chair of the coalition ensuring it’s success. She went on to become the first Vice President of New Gambia. These women were more than just participants; they were architects of unity.
Informal and culturally embedded acts of defiance
Beyond political parties and negotiation tables, women powered various movements through grassroots organising. Journeying through different parts of the country, starting with their local communities, they urged people (especially the youth and other women) to vote, and support the coalition candidate. An interviewee mentioned keeping broken slippers as a keepsake, and a reminder of all the walking during this period. Gambian women did all of this while balancing their traditional roles in the home, but it was seen as essential for change.
Other women coordinated transportation for the sick and elderly during elections, ensuring no vote was left behind. In a light-hearted recollection, Adama Barrow was said to have been sandwiched between Aji Yam Secka and Aji Ya Mundow Jaye Yabou in the campaign vehicle from Banjul to Basse.
Women’s activism also moved into new spaces. The #GambiaHasDecided campaign initiated by the frustrations of a young woman, grew into the movement that brought together all Gambians; at home and abroad, to collectively show the world that Jammeh had to step down. At the same time, women journalists harnessed social media keeping diasporans informed and engaged, bypassing censorship, and significant risks. Platforms like Fatu Network, founded by Fatou Camara, Kerr Fatou, founded by Fatou Touray became instrumental for truth in a climate of fear.
Perhaps the most symbolic act of defiance came with the Kalama Revolution. Carrying plastic calabashes (Kalama), which is a cultural symbol for sharing – implying Jammeh needed to share power, and brooms to ‘sweep Jammeh away’ – women took to the streets of Banjul. These high-risk protests saw women demanding electoral reform and the release of detainees, with many facing arrest, torture and sustaining lifelong injuries. It was the first woman-led, woman-majority protests in Gambian History; a bold declaration that they were no longer willing to remain silent, no matter the risk.
A continuing struggle
As a Gambian woman, learning about the political journeys of different Gambian women was very fulfilling. However, the story does not end in 2016. If anything, women’s activism since then highlights both the opportunities and challenges of democratic transition. On the one hand, the visibility of women in politics has grown to some extent. More women are now vying for the presidency, and parliament; women are leading ministries beyond gender & social welfare and women are speaking up politically. Civil society organizations led by women have played vital roles in shaping the post-Jammeh reform agenda, from transitional justice to constitutional debates.
On the other hand, structural barriers remain; women are still underrepresented in formal political office, face cultural barriers and struggle against economic inequalities that limit their participation. The battle did not end in 2016, it had only just begun.
Recognising women’s role in 2016 is about acknowledging that without them, there might not have been a democratic change at all. As The Gambia navigates the difficult path of reform, the experiences, resilience, and vision of its women remain essential.
The world should take note: when women participate fully, democracy is not only possible, but also unstoppable.
Haddy Sowe is a recent IDS student who studied MA Governance, Development & Public Policy.
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