THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA’S COMBINED REPORT ON THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN & PEOPLES’ RIGHTS & INITIAL REPORT ON THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA poverty levels remain quite high (the percentage of households living below the poverty line of $US1.25 /day was 48.4 per cent in 2010 and 48.65 per cent in 2015). The average GDP growth of 3 per cent per annum has barely kept up with population growth of 3.1 per cent. The Government is committed to economic reforms and the historic transition to democracy opens up many possibilities that could spur growth and restore the country’s economic stability. III. CONSTITUTIONAL, POLITICAL AND LEGAL STRUCTURE a. Constitutional The Gambia became independent on the 18th February 1965 and immediately embraced multi-party democracy until the military coup of July 1994 ended the democratically elected Government of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara. After a two-year military rule, The Gambia returned to civilian rule in 1996 and a new Constitution (the 1997 Constitution) was promulgated, which came into force on the 12th of January 1997. The Constitution provides for participatory democracy, separation of powers, judicial independence and fundamental human rights. The Gambia has a unicameral legislature with the National Assembly (Parliament) consisting of 58 members, 53 elected by universal suffrage, and 5 nominated by the President, for a five-year term. Section 7 of The Gambian Constitution stipulates The Gambia’s laws to include Acts of the National Assembly and subsidiary legislation made under said Acts, decrees passed by the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council, the common law and principles of equity, Customary law so far as concerns members of the communities to which it applies, the Sharia as regards matters of marriage, divorce and inheritance among members of the communities to which it applies. b. Political The Gambia gained independence in 1965. In 1994 there was a coup d’etat and Lieutenant Jammeh took over power and ruled as a military leader for two years before transitioning to civilian rule in 1996. He continued to rule for 22 years until December 1st 2016 when he lost the Presidential elections. He initially 19