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The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MoGCA) has held a high-level strategic meeting with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to strengthen collaboration on gender mainstreaming, gender-responsive budgeting, and women’s financial inclusion.
The meeting, held at MoGCA’s headquarters in Freetown, formed part of UNECA’s courtesy visit to Sierra Leone and focused on advancing policies that promote gender equality, poverty reduction, and inclusive socio-economic development.
Senior MoGCA officials in attendance included Chief Director Charles Vandi, Permanent Secretary Mrs. Aminata Y. Sannoh, Deputy Chief Director Mrs. Marian Goodie Sowonie, and Deputy Director of the Gender Directorate Mr. Bamie J. Sesay.
The UNECA delegation was led by Ms. Keioso Matashane Marite, Chief of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, alongside Ms. Judith Beatrice Auma Oduol, Economic Affairs Officer, and Mr. Syed Ahmed, Associate Gender Affairs Officer. Representatives from the Bank of Sierra Leone, Statistics Sierra Leone, and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) also participated.
Welcoming the delegation, Permanent Secretary Mrs. Sannoh described the visit as timely and impactful, commending UNECA’s continued commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment across Africa. She reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s alignment with continental and global gender agendas.
Ms. Marite outlined UNECA’s mandate, emphasizing its role in supporting member states through policy research, intergovernmental platforms, and country-led development processes. She highlighted key strategic priorities, including macroeconomic governance, implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), climate change adaptation, and green energy-while stressing that gender equality remains central to all interventions.
On digital and financial inclusion, Ms. Oduol underscored the importance of expanding women’s access to entrepreneurship opportunities, credit facilities, and digital financial services as pathways to economic empowerment.
Representing the Bank of Sierra Leone, Ms. Fatmata Kamara presented on the Gender Accountability Framework, identifying financial literacy as a major barrier to women’s effective use of financial products.
During plenary discussions, MDAs shared progress updates, with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development highlighting initiatives such as the Public Investment Strategy and Climate-Smart, Gender-Inclusive policies. Participants also emphasized the need for capacity building, digital safety awareness, fintech sensitization—especially for women in agriculture—and stronger alignment of gender-responsive budgeting mechanisms.
The meeting concluded with a joint commitment by MoGCA and UNECA to deepen collaboration and advance coordinated, sustainable programmes aimed at empowering women and addressing gender-related challenges in Sierra Leone.
