The point raised by the Vice President and Secretary of State for Women's Affairs on the celebration of International Women's Day about women not being in control of decisions affecting their lives, could not have been raised at a better time.

The Vice President lamented that despite the numerous interventions by various stakeholders since 1995 and beyond, women and girls continue to be mainly responsible for household chores and reproductive responsibilities and are not in control of decisions affecting them.

What can be more truthful, given the fact that most women play valuable roles when it comes to decision-making in matters of national interest, but not in homes.

For all too often, we hear about acrimonious relationships involving men and either their children or their wives when it comes to decision-making in homes. It is needless to say that this unfortunate state of affairs could be avoided if both  men and  women tried a little bit more of tolerance.

 We hope and pray that men who are most at times the decision makers at home would give good consideration to the VP's concern. Men should understand that decisions made by women, if positively digested, would doubtless enable them to even be more proactive in making not only general decisions, but decisions with regards to women.

They should also understand that no genuine woman enjoys making decisions that will be of damage to men. As such, it is time that men tried to tolerate women's decisions most especially at homes with respect to all issues of concern in our homes.

We quite agree with Vice President Njie-Saidy that with the coming of the Women's Bill, labour saving devices, rehabilitation of a number of gardens, among others, Gambian women will be much more empowered.

'Women have always been the guardians of wisdom and humanity which makes them natural, but usually secret, rulers. the time has come for them to rule openly, but together with and notagainst men.'

Charlotte Wolff