In a bold move to advance women's empowerment and political participation, the Parliament of Sierra Leone, in partnership with Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), hosted a high-level consultative meeting on 19 February 2025 to assess the impact and challenges of the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE) Act 2022. Held at the Foreign Affairs Academy, Tower Hill, the gathering brought together female Members of Parliament (MPs), civil society leaders, government officials, and media representatives to strategise on strengthening the Act’s implementation.

At the heart of the discussion was the 30% representation quota for women in decision-making, which is a key milestone in Sierra Leone’s gender reforms. The meeting focused on evaluating the Parliamentary Female Caucus’ role in promoting women’s political leadership, identifying implementation gaps, and developing position papers for necessary amendments to the Act.

Leaders speak: A call for action

Mrs. Finda Frazer, Director General of Parliament, lauded the Act’s passage but emphasised the need for collaboration and accountability to translate legislation into real change. Gender Adviser to the President, Mrs. Isatu Jabbie Kabba, described the GEWE Act as a landmark achievement under President Bio’s leadership, presenting data on the Act’s impact on women’s political participation.

UN Women representative, Ms. Bendu Massaquio, reinforced the global significance of women’s participation in governance and reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to supporting Sierra Leone’s gender agenda. Political leaders, including Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay (on behalf of the Leader of Government Business) and Hon. Daniel Brima Koroma (representing the Opposition Leader), pledged cross-party support for gender equality, with a proposal for a steering committee to oversee women's political representation.

From civil society, Mrs. Marcella Samba Sesay, Executive Director of Campaign for Good Governance, urged a cultural shift toward gender equality, stressing that accountability and resource allocation are key to ensuring the Act’s success. Hon. Wuyatta Songa, President of the Parliamentary Female Caucus, called for sustained advocacy to bridge gender gaps, while Dr. Kadija Grace Kamara, Deputy Minister of Tourism, praised efforts to increase women's representation in governance.

WFD’s commitment to women’s empowerment

Rev. Diamond-Suma, Country Director of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, reaffirmed WFD’s longstanding commitment to promoting women's empowerment and political inclusion before, during, and after the passage of the GEWE Act. “WFD has worked closely with Parliament to ensure that its objectives translate into tangible outcomes. Through our technical support, we have provided capacity-building initiatives, building and setting up frameworks, research and policy analysis, and stakeholder engagements aimed at promoting gender-sensitive governance.” He added.

Mr. Gilbert Bosco Nhabay, Deputy Clerk of Parliament (representing the Speaker), described the Act as progressive and highlighted Sierra Leone’s strong ranking in gender-related legislative reforms across the African continent. He emphasized the Speaker’s commitment to ensure the fulfillment of all the provisions enshrined in this law.

The way forward

A keynote address by Hon. Zainab Catherine Trawally (Chairperson of the Gender Committee in Parliament) assessed the Act’s impact, with a focus on sustaining progress and addressing regulatory concerns. She warned that without proportional representation in future elections, the Act's long-term effectiveness could be at risk. She called on other women MPs to wake up and see this engagement by WFD as a wake-up call for a rethink on the need to revisit the GEWE act and sound it to assess its survivability for all forms of electoral systems in Sierra Leone.

She expressed concerns as gender chair and applauded her colleagues for the efforts made in strengthening the work of the Parliamentary Female Caucus and the newly established Network of Women Ministers and Members of Parliament (NEWMAP) 

The consultative meeting continued with a panel on assessing legal and environmental framework which ended with a renewed commitment from all stakeholders to drive implementation, foster accountability, and ensure that gender equality remains a national priority in Sierra Leone. An interactive session, moderated by Mr. Sheku Lamin Turay, Director of Parliamentary and Public Relations, emphasised the socio-economic benefits of women’s political inclusion and the need for greater media engagement in advocacy.

This National Consultation was fully funded by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).