Tuesday, 15th November 2022 marked a turning point in the consideration of the fundamental and inalienable rights of the women of Sierra Leone for which I am very much enthused and elated.
It is with that exuberant feeling that I join the women of Sierra Leone to celebrate the ratification of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022.

For almost two decades, I have been working with the women of Sierra Leone through the eminent 50-50 Group and Cause Canada as a facilitator in the campaign for the implementation of the 30% and 10% quota representation system in governance and decision-making levels of the country for women and youths respectively.

The just approved Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022, mandates women to be given at least 30% elective spaces in every public elections, to be favoured for 30% of non elective and other decision-making offices in the executive, civic society, the private sector to mention but a few.

It gives opportunities to women to grab equal salaries with their male counterparts especially where they have the similar qualifications and experiences. It also discriminates against penalizing pregnant women in the working environment; the law also frowns at discriminating against women seeking access to finances from financial institutions with a fine of NLe. 50,000 or a one year jail term or both for any such discriminator in question.

The Gender Act also empowers the Election Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) and Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) to monitor institutions and reject political parties who default on actualizing the 30% space for women and demands the Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs to annually submit to Parliament her successes, challenges and aspirations and to design regulations for the attention of the House.

It is no doubt in my mind therefore, that the phenomenal free quality education system will serve as a catalyst for the girl-child and women to stand to the occasion of gender parity and gender mainstreaming in all sectors of the Sierra Leone administration and governance system alongside their male counterparts.

It’s indeed a rich and epoch-making bill for Sierra Leonean women to carry the baton after South Africa, Namibia and Rwandan who have done so excellently in terms of female representation in public and private offices of trust.
Whilst acknowledging late President Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabbah for lighting the torch that stimulated actions as recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) leading to this momentous day and also commending former President, Ernest Bai Koroma for profusely apologizing to the women of Sierra Leone at the International Women’s Day held in Moyamba in 2010 for the horrendous treatments women went through during the almost 11 year war, I loudly applaud and congratulate President Julius Maada Bio for adding impetuses to these moves starting with a declaration of a State of Emergency against rape and its attendant violence, and finally the demonstration of his passion and commitment to ending the spectra of horrendous malaises the women of Sierra Leone have been exposed to for a very long time in our history. He campaigned on it and he has delivered on it!
I also wish to extend congratulations to right activists on gender issues; congratulations to all 146 Members of the 5th Parliament; congratulations to the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Dr. Sia Fatima Maada Bio whose ‘Hands off our girls’ flagship campaign project also served as a litmus to the achievement of women and girls protection, emancipation and self realization through this Act.

A big thank you and congratulations to our own powerful male champion for gender equality and mainstreaming: His Excellency, Rtd. Brig. Dr. Julius Maada Bio who has added a gaiety to the dignity of the women and girls of Sierra Leone.

With more women, Better politics for a brighter Sierra Leone.