Senegal’s only female presidential candidate may stand little to no chance of winning in Sunday’s election, but activists say her presence alone is helping to advance a decades-long campaign to achieve gender equality in the West African nation. Anta Babacar Ngom, a 40-year-old business executive, is a voice for both women and young people — groups hit hard by the country’s economic troubles, widespread unemployment and rising prices. She has promised to create millions of jobs and a bank for women to support their economic independence. Ngom is the first female candidate to run for president in over a decade, reflecting how progress has been frustratingly slow in the minds of activists who say there has been a reversal among young people toward more traditional views of the roles of women in society.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS