The National Director of the Young Women in Governance Network (YWIGN), Mariama Jalloh, has called for clearly defined and enforceable constitutional provisions to protect the rights of women and young people in Sierra Leone’s proposed new Constitution.

Speaking at the weekly government press conference held at the Miatta Civic Center on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, Madam Jalloh described the ongoing constitutional review process as a critical opportunity to advance gender equality, justice, and inclusive national development.

She explained that the Young Women in Governance Network is a nationwide initiative dedicated to empowering women in leadership at all levels. ‘‘We have active membership in all 16 districts, supported by a national secretariat that coordinates our work. Our focus extends beyond governance and politics to leadership development across all sectors,” she said.

Madam Jalloh noted that the organization has been actively involved in the constitutional review process and recently convened young women from all 16 districts to gather their perspectives on the draft Constitution. According to her, many of the proposed provisions directly benefit women and young women, adding that consultations were conducted nationwide during the review process.

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On economic empowerment, she highlighted the principle of equal pay for equal work as a key pillar of the proposed Constitution, stressing that women must not face wage discrimination for performing the same work as men. She also emphasized the need to promote entrepreneurship and innovation, particularly among young people.

Addressing political participation, Madam Jalloh underscored the need for guaranteed women’s representation through a mandatory quota system. “Political power is central to our work as the Young Women in Governance Network. We are advocating for a mandatory 30 percent quota for women, regardless of the electoral system. This quota must be clearly stated and enforceable in the Constitution,” she said.

She cited recent leadership achievements within the network as evidence that empowering young women yields tangible results, pointing to the election of two members as student union presidents in Kono and Kenema—both firsts in those districts.

Madam Jalloh also welcomed provisions in the draft Constitution that prioritize social investment in education and healthcare, and commended proposals aimed at strengthening the justice system, particularly plans to increase the number of judges to reduce delays in court cases at the district level.

On human rights, she described the provision allowing women to pass citizenship to their children as a significant milestone in promoting gender equality and justice. “This represents a major human rights gain within the new constitutional framework,” she stated.

She concluded by calling for expanded access to technical, vocational, and skills training for young people to boost entrepreneurship and reduce unemployment. She further urged authorities to ensure transparency throughout the constitutional review process and to clearly protect key provisions affecting women and youth in the final Constitution.

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