By Makutu Manneh
Dr. Isatou Touray, former Vice President in the Barrow administration and now an independent presidential aspirant, says her decision to contest the December 5 presidential election is driven by concerns about the future of young Gambians, whom she believes are not adequately represented in the country’s governance.
Speaking in an interview with Kerr Fatou, Dr. Touray said her campaign is centered on creating opportunities for the country’s youth and ensuring they play a greater role in shaping The Gambia’s future.
“This is the time for the young people. I am out because of them, because I felt their future was at stake. I felt they are not seeing themselves in this government; I felt that they deserve more and better and need to be encouraged, have hope, and be ready to engage,” she said.
Dr. Touray said an administration under her leadership would focus on unlocking the potential of young people and preparing them to assume leadership positions across the country.
During the interview, she was asked about criticism from some young Gambians over remarks she made while serving as vice president, when she described Gambian youths as “lazy.”
Responding to the issue, Dr. Touray said the comments were made during the COVID-19 pandemic after the government halted the offloading and loading of commodities in an effort to create employment opportunities for Gambian youth. However, she said most of those who turned up for the work were young people from neighboring countries. According to her, the remarks were intended as a call to action rather than an insult.
The interviewer noted that many young Gambians were offended by the statement, arguing that they aspire to more than manual labor and instead seek meaningful employment, leadership opportunities, and a greater voice in national decision-making.
Dr. Touray rejected the suggestion that she believes Gambian youth are lazy.
“Let me be clear, I do not believe Gambian youths are lazy. In fact, throughout my life and career, I have consistently argued the exact opposite. I believe our young people are the greatest assets this nation possesses; they are a demographic dividend. I have seen their talent, resilience, creativity, and determination in every region of our country as a grassroots activist. I work with youth,” she stated.
She argued that the greatest challenge confronting young people is not a lack of ability, but a lack of opportunity.
To address those challenges, Dr. Touray said her administration would invest in quality education, modern vocational training, digital skills development, entrepreneurship, apprenticeship programmes, and recreational facilities.
She also pledged to establish a National Youth Employment Opportunity Programme aimed at expanding job opportunities while creating avenues for young people to participate directly in national policymaking.
On women’s empowerment, Dr. Touray promised to strengthen support for women entrepreneurs and pursue equal representation for women in the National Assembly through a 50-50 framework.
“Sixty-seven percent of the voters are women; they are a critical mass. I believe in inclusive governance for women. We will deal with agriculture, cooperatives, women entrepreneurs, and all other sectors of women. Women are dear to my heart; they do a lot of things and contribute to the economy, yet are undervalued,” she said.
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