The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MGCA), in collaboration with the International Women’s Day National Steering Committee, Saturday 8th March 2025, observed this year’s International Women’s Day on the theme “For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality. Empowerment,” with the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh as the guest speaker.
In his keynote address at the forecourt of the Miatta Conference Center, Youyi Building in Freetown, the Vice President called on the MGCA to in the future organize a two-day event to observe the day, starting with a National Women’s Conference to take stock of achievements and challenges, and the blueprint document presented to government and organize awards to illustrious women.
He continued that the day is to celebrate the resilience and courage of Sierra Leonean and other women as well as to look ahead to see what more can be done, assuring that government prioritizes women’s empowerment, for which it has enacted progressive laws to advance their empowerment.
According to the Vice President, Sierra Leone is leading West Africa in terms of support to girl child education in the sciences, and that more girls are now in basic and senior secondary schools, the reduction in maternal mortality rate, the provision of opportunities for safe delivery and the premature deaths that have been reduced from 80 to 20 percent.
Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh also revealed that there are now more women in sports, agriculture, women beneficiaries of the social safety protection net cash transfer payment, creation of the Ministry of Gender, assuring that government would do more to enact legislations to promote women’s empowerment, citing as examples the Political Parties and Public Elections Acts respectively, stressing that Sierra Leone is also changing women’s rights globally.
The Vice President catalogued access to finance, gender-based violence, building capacity at the local level as some of the challenges articulating that all must work hard to improve the welfare of Sierra Leonean women as well as tap into their intellectual and productive capacity.
The Chief Minister, Dr. David Sengeh, revealed that he is a ‘HeforShe’ champion, that he is very optimistic for girls and women, that Sierra Leone has one of the highest transition rates for girls, and that more girls now opt for the sciences and have graduated from the Eastern Technical University.
He also revealed that there are more women now in the military, judiciary and other sectors more than ever before in the history of Sierra Leone.
The Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Isata Mahoi, acclaimed the President on behalf of the women of Sierra Leone for the political will to protect and promote their rights that is non-negotiable, equality, rectifying and domesticating several key laws, citing the Child Rights Act, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, the Safe Motherhood Act, the Land Commission Act and the Sexual Offences Act.
She highlighted other progress made as creation of the 116 hotline, the referral pathway but lamented that some of the challenges are gender inequality and not seeing the desired changes pointing out that gender issues are multi-sectoral.
According to Dr. Mahoi, there is need to change the mindset and be committed to women’s empowerment revealing that there are now more female Members of Parliament and commended the First Lady for her Hands Off Our Girls Campaign asserting that the fight against gender based violence is not a sprint but a marathon race.
She went on to disclose that the day is to reflect on the journey since the Beijing Declaration, the progress made and challenges for a more equitable society to accelerate progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment furthering that gender is a crosscutting issue in the Medium-Term National Development Plan, that the Beijing Declaration has made Sierra Leone conscious, that the Government of Sierra Leone has ratified and domesticated key international instruments asserting that laws are the foundation of the efforts being made.
According to the Minister, Sierra Leone has made progress to pass laws relating to violence against women and girls, established the One Stop Center, Referral Pathways that provide survivors with legal and medical support, that the number of women in Parliament has increased from 12 to 28percent, observing that gender inequality is deeply entrenched and called for women in financial services as well as their economic empowerment that makes it difficult for them to progress.
Dr. Mahoi also revealed that they have received complaints of violence against women and girls, that women account for between 60-70 percent in the agricultural sector and therefore need support reiterating that they want developments that support women, that the Ministry is committed to protect the lives of the girl child, promote gender equality, improve access to quality education and healthcare.
Earlier, the chairperson for the program, the Gender Adviser in the Office of the President, Mrs. Isata Jabbie-Kabbah underscored the importance of the theme which she reiterated is appropriate for an equitable and just society adding that more women are now breaking barriers in various fields of human endeavor.
However, she noted that there are still challenges as women’s empowerment is the key to unlock their potentials requiring policies and investments and change of mindset.
According to Mrs. Jabbie-Kabbah, gender equality is government’s top priority and pledged that they would work with partners to end Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and that women would no longer be left behind.
The President of the Women’s Forum Sierra Leone, the Country Director, Save the Children International, the Ambassador, Embassy of Ireland, the British High Commissioner in Sierra Leone, the Ambassador of the European Union Delegation in Sierra Leone, the Country Manager, World Bank Group Sierra Leone, the UN Resident Coordinator and the President of the Female Caucus, Parliament all pledged their commitment to promote the rights of women and girls, revealed that there are now more women in Cabinet, Parliament and Local Councils.
They also highlighted the enactment of several laws for which they commended government as well as the progress made in education and healthcare, especially reduction in child maternal mortality, which they all assured, would continue to improve.
Some of the challenges they highlighted include economic empowerment of women, particularly the pay gap as they also reiterated that women need to enjoy their rights and live in freedom from violence.
Earlier, the Deputy Minister of MGCA, Mr. Hindowa Bindi, welcomed all at the ceremony, while the Public Relations Officer of the Child Forum Network, Fatima Kargbo, rendered the vote of thanks.
