Post a comment 
Female Parliamentarians and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) convened this week for a cross-party discussion on implementing gender-related electoral and constitutional reforms, particularly those stemming from the Tripartite Report recommendations.
The meeting was hosted by the President of the Female Parliamentary Caucus, Honorable Wuyatta Songa, and featured attendees from both the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the All Peoples Congress (APC).
Discussions centered on how ongoing constitutional reforms and the Tripartite Committee’s recommendations specifically impact women. Participants highlighted opportunities to embed progressive changes for gender equality in the nation’s governance framework.
A representative from the Deputy Minister of Justice provided an update on the government’s ongoing reform processes with a focus on women’s issues. A CSO representative also presented a position paper developed from prior workshops.
The dialogue emphasized the need to balance cultural respect with the removal of legislative and infrastructural barriers that hinder women’s progress. A consensus emerged that for certain protections, constitutional backing is the most secure method to preserve gains made in gender equality.
The meeting saw participation from more than 20 female MPs from both major parties—representing nearly half of all women in Parliament—alongside several male “He4She” champions.
The government noted that recent legislation, including the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, has already led to measurable outcomes, such as increased female political participation, higher girls’ education rates, and women making up 60% of recent judiciary recruitments.
The event was supported by the international partner, International IDEA.
