As a way of embracing g gender equality, the Paramount Chief of Kanajie Chiefdom in the Moyamba District Southern Sierra Leone Fayia Sundifu Brima Sovuna IV who doubles also as the National Council of Paramount Chiefs has recently appointed the first woman Chiefdom Speaker.

In the statement, he highlighted the reason for appointing a woman as Chief Speaker and reiterated his he become Paramount chief in December 2013.
He said after the death of the former Chiefdom Speaker, he deemed it fit to appoint Madam Bangali as Chiefdom Speaker after some thorough background checks.

“Women play a very important role in chieftaincy, but most of the time we don’t include them in decision making especially when it comes to traditional issues. For example, in the northern part of Sierra Leone, people think women don’t have anything to do with paramount chieftaincy. I beg to disagree because women play a key role in honoring paramount chiefs. I thought it would be an honour to once again make history which no paramount chief has ever done appointing a female chiefdom speaker,” he said.

He continued that he is passionate about women’s Empowerment and promoting Women’s issues which lead him in appointing Madam Bangali to the second highest local authority office in the chiefdom.

He went further to disclosed that 50% of the Chiefdom population are women and Madam Bangali as a vibrant woman will be able to galvanize the majority of the women for the development of the chiefdom.

Dilating on the relationship with his subjects, PC Sovula maintained that even though sometimes they do have issues but they always solve their differences amicably in-house, thus adding that they have never gone outside the chiefdom to settle their disputes.

He concluded by calling on other paramount chiefs to give more responsibility to women so they can showcase their full potentials. He urged traditional leaders, especially those in the northern part of the country to change the narratives by giving traditional positions to women.

Madam Rachel A. Bangali newly appointed Chiefdom Speaker while addressing all present,
she joyfully said she is very proud of being a woman, adding that she received the appointment wholeheartedly.

She expressed that, “I was very excited and still excited when I received the appointment. This golden opportunity means, I’m the first female chiefdom speaker in the history of this country. The appointment doesn’t come to me as a surprise. I have worked for it. Before now, I served as a ‘mammy chef at Aberdeen police barracks, I was also the women’s leader of this chiefdom. Three years back, I was awarded as the master farmer of Moyamba District on an occasion that was graced by the First Lady Madam Fatima Bio in Torma Bum. I believe that I can deliver.” She reassured.

She described the paramount chief as a role model for women’s empowerment. She, therefore called on other paramount chiefs to follow in the footsteps of her boss and give opportunities to women. She also commended the paramount chief for believing in her ability to handle such a huge responsibility.

She called on women to come forward in terms of national and tradition, therefore,ics, saying that anything men do women can din o it better.

Madam Rachael A. Bangali is the first ever female to hold that enviable position that has been dominated by men. Even though there are few female Paramount Chiefs in Sierra Leone, a woman has never held a chiefdom speaker position in Sierra Leone, according to the lock authorities.