The Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) officially launched the 9th edition of the Afro Barometer Survey at the Raddison Blu Hotel. The survey found that 76% of Sierra Leoneans believe their government is doing “fairly well” in promoting equal rights and opportunities for women, while 64% believe it is doing “very well” in that regard.

Dr. Fatou Taqi, the director of academic and career affairs at the University of Sierra Leone, praised the government’s efforts to address gender inequality in her remarks and called for more to be done to eradicate it. The majority of Sierra Leoneans, she stated, think that the government is doing a good job of promoting equal rights for women to own and inherit land, find employment, and run for public office. “Most believe that a woman running for office will improve her status in the community, but a sizable percentage also believe that it is likely that she may face criticism or harassment from others in the community,” she said.

The Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act, which requires equal pay for equal work, maternity leave, financial inclusion, and a 30% quota of women in government appointments and private institutions with more than 25% employees, was passed into law in Sierra Leone, she continued, and supporters of equal rights for women are jubilantly celebrating the country’s accomplishment.

In Sierra Leone, women are more likely than men to have no formal education at all (46% vs. 34%) and to acquire post-secondary education only at a lower rate (7% vs. 20%). Additionally, a sizable majority of Sierra Leoneans (75%) and 71%, respectively, believe that women should have the same rights as males to own and inherit land and to be elected to public office.

Eight out of ten respondents (82%) believe that a woman will improve her status in the community if she runs for government, according to the report. However, more than 4 in 10 (42%) believe it is likely that others in the community will judge or harass women, and 21% believe that women will likely experience issues with family members.