Dialogue highlights grassroots engagement in women's politics

As part of this overall support, International IDEA provided a sub-grant to the 50/50 Women’s Group of Sierra Leone to enhance women political leaders through capacity support and electoral participatory assessment. Under this intervention, 50/50 Group convened eight-day district level dialogue titled “Elevate Women’s Presence at the Community Level” in the last quarter of 2024. The dialogues which took place across six of the Sierra Leone’s districts namely Bo, Kailahun, Bombali, Kambi, and Western and Rural districts Freetown offered a platform for the elected women councillors to share their lived experiences on impeding challenges, build solidarity and improve relations as well as showcase their achievement after one year in office. The female councillors were drawn from both district and city councils.  

Notable achievements that made by the elected women councillors included facilitation of community projects such as road maintenance, cleaning exercises, sensitisation on drug abuse, support to vulnerable children, popularization of the gender laws, following up on Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)/ GBV cases, construction of markets and schools. were critical thematic areas that were tabled for discussion at the dialogue.

The dialogue brought together the Ministry of Gender officials to share their experience a year after being elected so that they can clarify questions on the impact of the enacted gender laws, especially the GEWE Act, during and after the June 24, 2023, national elections. In 2022, President Julius Maada Bio signed into law the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022, (GEWE Act, 2022).   Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) representatives, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), members of the fourth estate, the religious and security sector.

The dialogue sessions leveraged on progress made while identifying strategies and sharing recommendations on how to ensure that laws are translated into practice in a manner that can result into tangible changes for women’s empowerment and participation in politics.

The one rallying call at the end of the dialogue sessions was the need for the women politicians to have a deepened engagement with their communities. Additionally, they established the need for greater citizen’s participation in governance process and enhancing the citizens’ knowledge about the accomplishments of female elected politicians as this would build a positive attitude towards women’s political participation. Lastly, the activity led to the creation of a documentary that is anticipated to foster wider public support for gender equality in Sierra Leone as lets citizens it captures the journeys, accomplishments, and challenges of the women politicians.