Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa, since February 2018, Jaha Dukureh,31, announced, this Friday, October 15, her candidacy for the presidential election in Gambia, scheduled for December 4, 2021. If elected, she would become the youngest president of a republic in the world. The president of the Republic of the Gambia is elected for a five-year term. Jaha Dukureh is a member of the political party “The People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism”(PDOIS).
At 31, Gambia’s Jaha Dukureh is considered one of the emerging leaders of the African continent. She has influenced and created key legislation for human rights and equity. As a presidential candidate, she says, her strategic plan includes significant support and infrastructure in the areas most critical to health and prosperity.
Jaha Dukureh is a world-renowned campaigner who has successfully led campaigns to end female genital mutilation and child marriage in The Gambia. She believes she is the most qualified candidate in a country with an average age of 18 that is looking for better solutions in health care, water access and education.
Raising awareness about female genital mutilation
Born in The Gambia in 1989, Jaha Dukureh became a U.S. citizen in 2015. She became an advocate for major progressive change after she herself was a victim of female genital mutilation (FGM) when she was only a week old and was forced into a forced marriage at age 15 in New York City to a man older than her. A marriage that had been planned years before. Jaha Dukureh is married and has children from her second marriage.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Georgia Southwestern State University, which she earned in 2013. That same year, she founded Safe Hands for Girls, a survivor-led organization whose grassroots programs raise awareness of female genital mutilation and other forms of violence against women through education, advocacy and youth-led campaigns. Her work led to the banning of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage in The Gambia in 2015.
Jaha Dukureh also worked for the administration of former U.S. President Barak Obama, investigating the profile of FGM in the U.S. and later participating in the Summit to End FGM, organized in collaboration with the United States Institute of Peace.
Jaha Dukureh is currently focused on developing an African-led movement, the Big Sister Movement, to end FGM and child marriage by 2030.
As a youth leader, she was determined to make her voice heard and raise awareness in The Gambia and around the world. She has become the leading voice of a new generation of African women who are standing up for women’s equality. Dukureh’s platform, it is explained, demands the kind of vigorous change for which she is now famous, investing more and more effectively in people. In addition, it is reported, her platform ensures quality access to health care for all by providing adequate prenatal care and combating child malnutrition.
Providing adequate education
In addition, Dukureh promises the right to an adequate education, which will revitalize the economy with a well-trained and robust workforce. She also plans major infrastructure upgrades and social safety nets that protect the poor. “The average age in The Gambia is about 18, which means Dukuheh’s insight and experience are particularly appropriate. His extensive international experience also gives him a head start in foreign affairs. At a time when the world is calling for more women’s leadership and true gender equality, Dukureh’s nomination echoes progressive movements around the world,” notes the press release announcing her nomination.
Thought leadership
Jaha Dukureh’s leadership, courage and informed advocacy, it says, have been instrumental in engaging religious leaders in the coalition of stakeholders dedicated to eliminating FGM in Africa. Jaha Dukureh is also co-chair of the Youth The Inter-Party Committee of The Gambia, which consists of all political parties and their leaders. Her role as co-chair is to promote unity, collaboration, peace building and common solutions to the challenges facing The Gambia.
Jaha Dukureh was appointed UN Women’s Ambassador for Africa in February 2018. In this role, she supports UN Women’s advocacy to end FGM and child marriage in Africa, with a focus on engaging youth. She holds a similar role as an advisor to the World Bank.
Jaha Dukureh’s work has received international acclaim, including the Eleanor Roosevelt Medal of Honor, as well as recognition by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She was named Young African of the Year among other notable awards.
