Women in the UDP have left their mark on Gambian history, none more so than the women who led the struggle to liberate our country from the clutches of a bloodthirsty tyrant.
On this day, May 9th 2016, we remember the valiant defiance of our women who refused to be silenced in the face of injustice and unmatched barbarity from the state that was supposed to protect and elevate them.
Despite the risks, ordinary women persisted in their efforts to expose the tyranny and injustice that had become synonymous with Yaya Jammeh and his APRC government. In that defiance and in defence of democracy and their rights, what would become known as the Kalamaa Revolution evolved onto our political scene marking another milestone and a symbol of peaceful defiance against tyranny when the odds seemed too bleak.
We recall Sukai Dahaba and her iconic picture, posing on the streets of Banjul that moved a nation. We recall names like M’ba Kachang and her moving renditions outside the court houses chanting solidarity with their leaders who were being persecuted by men of law at the behest of a tyrant. *We recalled the innocent Baby Isha Fatty who was detained by the security forces before being forcefully separated from her suckling mother.* These and many more women made their way into our hearts and indelibly into history books.
This nation owes them much, and we at the UDP remember their sacrfice and express our gratitude to them for their resolve, persistence, and sacrifice. They freed a nation. *That is why at the UDP, we’ve committed ourselves to the promotion and empowerment of the Gambian women by ensuring that they are central in all levels of leadership and decision making organs of the Party.*
The records of history on the struggles against tyranny would not be complete without recognizing the selfless sacrifice of the Gambian women, but most especially, women who marched under the banner of UDP. As we still grapple with the indifference of the current administration towards the victims, we would like to take this opportunity to reassure our comrades that their sacrifices will never be forgotten and in due course, they will get the recognition they deserve.
We call on all conscientious Gambians to join us in celebrating these women of valor. May their selfless sacrifice remind us all of our duties to one another and to our country.
On behalf of the Secretary General and party leader, we say thank you.
