Post a comment 
The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MoGCA) has concluded a one-day high-level validation meeting with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to review the Draft Gender Accountability Framework and assess progress in implementing the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act, 2022.
Held at the CCSL Hall in Freetown, the meeting brought together senior government officials, gender focal persons, and development partners, including representatives from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), who were in Sierra Leone on a scoping mission. The engagement forms part of MoGCA’s broader efforts to strengthen accountability and monitoring mechanisms for gender equality across public institutions.
Key officials present included Deputy Chief Director Mrs. Marian Goodie Sowonie; Director of Strategic Planning and Policy, Mr. Ibrahim Kamara; Deputy Director of the Gender Directorate, Mr. Bamie J. Sesay; Mr. Harry Mahoi; Mr. Dennis Koroma; and representatives from several MDAs.
Chairing the session, Mr. Harry Mahoi welcomed participants and commended their continued commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. He highlighted UNECA’s participation as an important opportunity to assess institutional progress, identify gaps, and support evidence-based reforms on gender-related issues.
Providing an overview of the validation process, Mr. Bamie J. Sesay explained that the Draft Gender Accountability Framework is designed as a practical monitoring and reporting tool to strengthen gender mainstreaming across MDAs. He emphasized that the reporting templates embedded in the framework will be critical for collecting gender-disaggregated data and enhancing institutional accountability.
Presenting the framework, Mr. Ibrahim Kamara described gender mainstreaming as a cornerstone of institutional capacity building. He explained the framework’s rationale, methodology, and application, noting that it includes two reporting templates tailored for both public and private sector institutions. The framework is anchored in the GEWE Act, particularly the statutory requirement for a minimum of 30 percent female representation in leadership and decision-making positions.
Mr. Kamara further noted that the framework aligns with the UN Gender Scorecard and focuses on key thematic indicators such as gender equality, gender mainstreaming, and financial inclusion, with a strong emphasis on women’s participation in leadership.
During the feedback session, participants made several recommendations, including integrating board chairpersons into the framework’s thematic areas, aligning the framework with the Disability Act to ensure inclusivity, and strengthening provisions on childcare, paternity leave, and broader data disaggregation.
The meeting concluded with a collective commitment by MoGCA and MDAs to uphold gender equality standards. Plans were also announced for follow-up training workshops and seminars to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of the framework and support effective implementation nationwide.
