The Role of Women in The Advancement of Gambian Literature and Writing from 1753 to 2019

The Gambia,The Smiling Coast of Africa, has produced a numerous number of highly brilliant and outstanding female authors who were, and still are, able to assert themselves as writers, both on a national and international platform. Moreover, information on the lives and works of these authors are scant: which is why I chose to write about them in this article. That being said, the aim of this article is to provide my readers with a brief biographical outline of each Gambian female author who has/had shaped our literature and promoted the advancement of women; expand on some of their influences and themes in their work -- as well as highlighting some of their most notable publications.

While honoring The Role of Gambian Women in The Advancement of Gambian Literature and Writing, I want you to know that there is nothing more important on earth, either past or present-- more than women. Knowing that women are very important in our society; every woman has her own destiny which doesn't exclude writing in this modern society in which men are still the 'strongest gender'; I can't forget that a woman´s life is a lot more complicated than a man's life. A woman has to take care of her own personal life and if she is a mother, she has to take care also about her children´s life too. Married women have lots of worries and believe it or not , they carry out a more stressful life than married men. Several times in my life I have heard commentaries about the lack of importance of women. I am personally against these kind of commentaries. In my life, the most important person I remember is my mother. She is the first professional who shaped my writing career, also at home, the most important person is in most of the cases is the mother. She is the one that cares about the order , the matter and the health of all the family.

These are the female Gambian authors who were, and still are, able to assert themselves as writers, both on a national and international platform:

1. Phillis Wheatley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley in the Frontispiece to her book Poems on Various Subjects
Born	1753 West Africa (likely Gambia or Senegal)
Died	December 5, 1784 (aged 31) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Poet
Language	English
Period	American Revolution
Notable works	Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral
Spouse	John Peters
Children	Three

Phillis Wheatley, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly (c. 1753 – December 5, 1784) was the first published African-American female poet. Born in West Africa, she was sold into slavery at the age of seven or eight and transported to North America. She was purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston, who taught her to read and write and encouraged her poetry when they saw her talent.
The publication of her Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral on September 1, 1773 brought her fame both in England and the American colonies. Figures such as George Washington praised her work. During Wheatley's visit to England with her master's son, African-American poet Jupiter Hammon praised her work in his own poem. Wheatley was emancipated (set free) shortly after the publication of her book. She married in about 1778. Two of her children died as infants. After her husband was imprisoned for debt in 1784, Wheatley fell into poverty and died of illness, quickly followed by the death of her surviving infant son.

2. Augusta Jawara

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hannah Augusta Darling Jawara, née Mahoney (May 1924 – 21 January 1981), was a Gambian nurse, playwright and activist for women's rights. She was the first wife of Dawda Jawara.

Augusta Mahoney was born to a prominent Christian Aku Creole family. She was the daughter of Sir John Mahoney, the first Speaker of the Legislative Council of the Gambia, and his wife Hannah. Augusta's sister was Louise N'Jie.
She studied at Mohammedan High School, where she first met her future husband, (future president) Dawda Jawara, before training in nursing in Edinburgh, Scotland. In February 1955 she married Jawara. Their first child was born in Edinburgh, where her husband had returned to study. In 1960 she stood for election to the House of Representatives in the 1960 elections, contesting Soldier Town in Bathurst unsuccessfully for her husband's party, the PPP. She thereby became the first woman candidate to stand in a Gambian national election. In 1962 she established the Women's Contemporary Society.
Jawara's play The African King was produced at the Negro Arts Festival in Dakar in 1966. In 1967 she and Dawda Jawara divorced, and he reconverted to Islam. In 1968 Mahoney published Rebellion - "perhaps the first avowedly feminist, pro-girl child book in The Gambia's literary history and tradition". Published under a pseudonym, Rebellion was a play about Nyasta, a teenage girl in a rural village who struggles to continue her education rather than suffer an arranged marriage. At the time it was published she was President of the Gambia Women's Federation, which she helped to establish from women's associations in the Greater Banjul Area.
She died in London on 21 January 1981.

3. Janet Badjan-Young

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigation Jump to search Janet Badjan-Young (born 1937) is a Gambian playwright and administrator, "easily one of the most prolific playwrights" in the country.
She has a BA in Drama (UK, 1959) and a Master's degree in Communications (1979, USA). She has spent the greater part of her life outside The Gambia: in Sierra Leone, in Kenya, in Nigeria, and in the Caribbean. She worked for the United Nations Information Centre in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, before becoming Director of UNIC at Lagos, Nigeria. She is Director of the Ebunjang Theatre complex at Kanifing South.
In 2012, she was one of five Gambian women honoured for their significant contribution to "the development of The Gambia in all aspects of life", receiving the "Award of Excellence".

Plays/ Books 

• The Ultimate Inheritance, first staged 2001
• The Battle of Sankandi, first produced 2002.
• The Dance of Katchikali: a dance drama, first staged 2007.
• The Hand of Fate, published 2009.
• Chains of Inspiration, produced 2011.

Other

• "Collective War Against Poverty", A.M. News, Thursday (April, 1 1): 6.

4. Dr. Ralphina Phillot Almeida

 Ralphina de Almeida nee Phillott (1972 MA Advanced History, Politics and Sociology):

Was a Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, with special focus on Gender Studies at the University of The Gambia ( UTG). She has worked there during the past ten years, launching, expanding and firmly establishing a gender studies unit, from an initial
“Introduction to concepts and theories” module to a “Gender and sectoral practices" component up to an advanced “Research methods” level.

She was asked to switch from her original University of Birmingham ‘History and Sociology’ area of concentration, because of the then perceived need to open a gender facility at this newly-fledged
(1999) university. Also, it was as a result of the fact that she was appointed by the Government
in 1983 to open and administer the first National Women’s Development Office in The
Gambia. Since then, she has served as the National Gender Advisor/Consultant, par excellence to Government, UN agencies and civil society organizations, as well as a lecturer in the gender and development discipline.

She continued to conduct research in this area, two of which have been published by the council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) in 2006 and 2009. She has also had two books published: one on the history of a Kingdom of the Ancient Sahelin Empire of Kaabu
(2011), the other on Poems and Krio Proverbs (2007).


She cherished fond memories of the warm and congenial ethos at the Centre for West
African Studies, under the headship of the late Prof. John D. Fage and his team of tutors
and administrative staff. They were a small but friendly, inter-active and dedicated group
of both British and African postgraduate students. Our studies in the MA degree programme were enriched by the catalytic tutorial and academic insights, which were bestowed upon them by a fine team of expert lecturers/readers. The research findings ascended onto the high intellectual peaks that were established in the works of authors
like Margaret Mead, J.S. Trimmingham, Yves Person, among others, are still memorable and useful even today in her academic work and writings at the University of The Gambia.

 To these academic acquisitions, friendships and other benefits derived from
the Centre for West African Studies and University of Birmingham at large in 1971/1972, she became most Influential Gambian woman of all time in creative writing.

Books:  Poems, Stories and Krio Proverbs, An outline history of Pachesi: Drawn from oral tradition, the history of a Kingdom of the Ancient Sahelin Empire of Kaabu
(2011), etc

5. Patience Sonko-Godwin

Patience Sonko-Godwin (born 1943) is a Gambian historian.
Born in Banjul, Patience Sonko-Godwin was educated in the Gambia before going to St. Edwards Senior Secondary School in Freetown, Sierra Leone to have her sixth form education. She studied history at Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone, and gained a masters at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Sonko-Godwin worked as a teacher at Nusrat High School until 1989, when he was appointed Principal Cultural Officer at the National Council for Arts and Culture. Executive Director of the Council from 1991 to 1998, she retired in 1998 to concentrate on her research and writing.

Works/Books

• Ethnic groups of the Senegambia: a brief history, 1985
• Ethnic groups of the Senegambia Region: social and political structures: precolonial period, 1986
• Trade in the Senegambia region : precolonial period, 1988
• Leaders of the Senegambia region: reactions to European infiltration, 19th-20th centuries, 1995
• Social and political structures in the precolonial periods: ethnic groups of the Senegambia Region, 1997
• Trade in the Senegambia region: from the 12th to the early 20th century, 2004
• Development of local industries in the Senegambia region: from pre-colonial to the colonial period, 2004

 

6. Dr. Sukai Mbye Bojang

Dr. Sukai Mbye Bojang was born on 8 March 1955 in Banjul The Gambia. She has undoubtably stood out to be one of the most outstanding Gambian women of our time in the advancement of Gambian literaure and writing from her wealth of experience which can be summarized below:

Professional Working Experience:

Name of Employer: Gambia National Commission for UNESCO

Position Title: Secretary General                                        March 2001 to February 2012
Location: Banjul, The Gambia

Name of Employer: Ministry of Health & Social Welfare
Position Title: Deputy Permanent Secretary                        Sept. 1997-March 2001
Location: Banjul, The Gambia

Name of Employer: Ministry of Agriculture & Natural Resources
Position Title: Deputy Permanent Secretary                          July 1995-September 1997
Location: Banjul, The Gambia

Name of Employer: Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports & Culture
Position Title: Principal Assistant Secretary                           May 1993–June 1995

Location: Banjul, The Gambia

Name of Employer: Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports & Culture
Position Title: Senior Assistant Secretary                            December 1988-April 1993
Location: Banjul, The Gambia

Name of Employer: Office of the President

Position Title: Assistant Secretary                                      May 1985-November 1988
Location: Banjul, The Gambia

Name of Employer: Gambia Government

Position Title: Editor, Gambia News Bulletin                     July 1979-April 1985
Location: Banjul, The Gambia

Related Experience
Name of business: Gambia Educational Enterprise

Writer and editor                                                                  1986 to date

Books/ Publications  

Co-author with Dembo Fanta Bojang of the following books:

1. English for The Gambia Books 1-3                                  2006-2008

2. Social & Environmental Studies Books 6-9                     1987-2008

3. Mathematics for The Gambia Books 1-9                         1987-2010

4. Folk Tales and Fables from The Gambia Volumes 1-2            2011                                                                                           

5. Folk Tales and Fables of The Gambia Volume 3 (sole author) 2012  

6. Folk tales and fables of The Gambia Volume 4 (sole author)   2013                                                                             

7. Sally Saidy Singhateh

Sally Sadie Singhateh (born 1977) is a Gambian poet and novelist.
Sally Sadie Singhateh was born in 1977 and wrote her first full-length work when she was 16. She has since published one children’s book and three novels, the latest of which is called Baby Trouble (2006, East African Educational Publishers, Nairobi, Kenya). Her poetry won her an International Poetry Award of Merit in 1995.
Sally, who has a background in communication, international relations and literature with focus on creative writing, currently works with The Foundation for Research on Women’s Health, Productivity and the Environment (BAFROW) as the communications officer.


^{Books: The Sun Will Soon Shine, Baby Trouble, and Christie's Crisis}

8. Rohey Samba

  Rohey Samba-Jallow is the Director of Communications, Outreach and Media for the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). Mrs. Samba-Jallow works with a team of communications and reconciliation officers and work closely with the Executive Secretary and Commissioners to deliver on the mandate of the TRRC. Mrs. Samba-Jallow is currently the Secretary General of the Writers’ Association of The Gambia ( WAG) and Secretary to the Board of the Collecting Society of The Gambia responsible for instituting copyright laws. Rohey also runs a charitable foundation, Japo Ligueyal Gambia, whose primary objective is to help raise funds to finance projects and welfare programs for socially, economically and culturally disadvantaged communities in The Gambia.

Books: Heart songs : an anthology of poems

9. Ramatoulie O. Othman

Ramatoulie Onikepo Othman works as a Senior Manager, Admin. at The Gambia Ports Authority (GPA). In 
 She is the Treasurer of The Writers' Association of The Gambia (WAG).


Books:The Ethnic Group in Banjul, A Cherished Heritage (1999), The Yoruba Diaspora in the Atlantic World and Costly Prices (2005)

10. Mary Caroline Gomez

Mary Caroline Gomez is a Gambian youth with a passion to see her generation and the generations to come, be what they were created to be.

She obtained a certificate in Nursing at the Gambia College School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Three of her books have been approved by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education ( MoBSE) for use in schools.

Books:  Ariala, Expression, Trapped, The Little Foxes and The Mirror

11. Aisha Jawara

Aisha Jawara is a young Gambian writer and author. Aisha started writing at the age of 12.

Ms Jawara  has written a lot of short stories published in magazines.

Books: The Last Custodians and The Chosen Ones



 References and Source of Research: List of Gambian writers, Gambian publications, Wikipedia and The Writers' Association of The Gambia (WAG)


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