A new report has raised alarm over the growing financial barriers that prevent women, young people, and persons with disabilities from running for public office in The Gambia. According to the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the escalating cost of political participation is entrenching elite dominance and sidelining marginalized groups.

The study, titled “Cost of Politics in The Gambia: A Gender Inclusive Assessment,” highlights a drastic surge in nomination fees. Under the Elections Bill passed in September 2025, parliamentary candidates are now required to pay 150,000 Gambian dalasi—up from just 5,000 dalasi previously. Researchers say this steep increase sharply limits who can realistically contest elections.

The findings were unveiled on Wednesday at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, where politicians and civil society leaders convened to discuss the report’s implications. Many participants expressed concern that the high financial threshold threatens political diversity and undermines democratic participation.

The report calls for an urgent review of electoral financing rules to ensure equal access to leadership opportunities. Advocates argue that without reforms, women, youths, and persons with disabilities will remain unfairly excluded from the country’s political future.