GAMBIA: Barrow Announces D32.93 Million in Start-Up Grants for 738 Young Women Under SWEDD+ Programme

President Adama Barrow on Wednesday announced D32.93 million in start-up grants for 738 adolescent girls and young women who completed entrepreneurship and business management training under the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Plus (SWEDD+) Programme, describing the initiative as a key investment in women’s economic empowerment.

Speaking at the SWEDD+ Certification Ceremony, President Barrow said the beneficiaries, drawn from Banjul, the Kanifing Municipality, and the West Coast Region, would receive financial support to establish or expand their businesses.

According to the president, the grant package includes D20.59 million for beneficiaries in the West Coast Region, D9.99 million for participants in the Kanifing Municipality, and D2.35 million for graduates from Banjul.

Mr. Barrow said the initiative is designed to provide more than financial assistance, describing it as a pathway to sustainable livelihoods and long-term economic independence for young women.

He also announced that the government has committed an additional D117 million to provide start-up grants to 2,064 out-of-school and vulnerable adolescent girls and young women across the country under the same programme.

“When women are empowered economically, families thrive, communities grow stronger, and nations prosper,” President Barrow said.

The president described the empowerment of women and girls as a central pillar of his administration’s national development agenda, arguing that no nation can achieve its full potential while half of its population remains economically disadvantaged.

Addressing the graduates, he urged them to manage the grants responsibly and build sustainable enterprises capable of creating lasting opportunities.

“Use these resources wisely, manage your businesses with discipline and integrity, and continue learning, adapting, and innovating,” he said. “Be role models and pioneers for a new generation of Gambian women.”

Although the certification ceremony focused on beneficiaries from the Greater Banjul Area, President Barrow said the SWEDD+ Programme is being implemented nationwide and that similar ceremonies will be held in other regions.

He commended the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, the Women’s Enterprise Fund, implementing agencies, and the World Bank for their support in delivering the programme.

The president encouraged the graduates to regard the certificates as the beginning of a new chapter rather than the end of their training.

“Set forth purposefully and confidently. Believe in yourselves, strive for excellence, and live as role models and champions of positive change,” he said.