By- Aruna Rashed Toma Bangura
There has been less female representation in politics and governance in Sierra Leone. There have also been many deterrent stopping women to be actively involved in politics and governance. These deterrents have halted the few women in politics not to aim for high political offices despite having such political ambition.
Despite enormous advocacy and sensitization by women groups there is still less women in the political arena. Most women who want to join politics fear bullying by male politicians and being rigged by the conventional male chauvinist system.
Some aspiring female politicians are seeing the venture into politics as fruitless because according to them there is a patriarchal system of politics in Sierra Leone. These women have the strong confirmation that female politicians who run for high offices in politics face lot of threats and derogatory statements from their male opponents who may be rivaling for the same position. Another female aspiring politician intimated to this writer that the male politicians will go to the extent of making fake sex videos about them. She said that the fear of the social media platform in bringing down their hard earned repetition is a major panic among most of them.
However there have been series of disappointment and frustrations from many top female leaders towards ensuring the inclusion and participation of more women in the political space. However, enormous efforts have been made by top female politicians crying for a minimum quota of 30% to get more women into the political realm.
Another seeming factor deterring women from active politics is lack of funding or low support to achieve their political goals. There are women who are very popular among their male political counterparts but because they lack the funding and support to capacitate their political goal backed with the rigged system against women.
When women are engage in active politics the choice is left with the male politicians to entrust them with certain political offices. According to a glimpse survey, women are mostly given token positions and deputizing roles as politicians or they are given role of kitchen Chairladies.
Historically African female politicians have been robbed off their political ambitions. Africa and the rest of the world are far from achieving 50% women’s representation in active politics at all governance level as the continent is still maintaining its 24% female representation in parliament.
The lack of the political will along with rigid electoral frame works and a deeply entrenched patriarchy has contributed towards the low turnout of women in politics. There are many statutory instruments, laws and policies which are in opposition towards equal participation of women in politics. Political instability has also prevented women from actively engaging in politics and some of the female politicians are calling on the Electoral Commission to look at the electoral laws and the historical disadvantage of female political participation.
Women in politics face daunting challenges ranging from politically perpetrated violence, inadequate financial resources to engage on massive campaign drive, lack of the political will to improve the level of female political representation and bias media reporting.
In order to change the horrible story of a patriarchal or male chauvinist system of politics there should be transformation of the mindsets, attitudes and culture amongst the women politicians and those other women who are aspiring to be politicians in the near future. More advocacy actions are needed in educating the women about the importance of women into the political space. We should also celebrate those women who have chosen the path of politics despite not being easy for them.
To transform means a positive radical change in the cultural setting, attitudes and mindsets of the general public but it will not be easy to accomplish in a country battling with deeply rooted patriarchy that is hindering respect for female politicians and women political leaders
