How we are moving the gender agenda forward in Sierra Leone

The theme for this year’s CSW focuses on using the power of technology and education to empower women and girls in the digital age. What are the key takeaways for you? 

As you know, this is the first in-person CSW since the pandemic, and it is great to see many countries represented in numbers, sharing experiences. 

One key takeaway is that across all member states, we experience similar challenges—different levels and different stages, but similar challenges—in girls and women accessing ICT. For us, the initiatives we are taking and the political backing we have are really encouraging. 

What is the level of digital access for women in Sierra Leone? 

For us, digital exposure for women is quite low, under 5 per cent. However, we have put some initiatives in place, working particularly with the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network, to introduce women’s businesses to online trading. But we need strong infrastructure for that to work well.

The power supply is improving while broadband is becoming more widespread, although still expensive. We need to bring down its costs so that more women can have access. Broadband is important for trade and education, but other infrastructural elements need to fully mature to enhance access for women.

You have engaged in many bilateral talks here at this meeting in New York. Are there tangible results from these talks? 

I have had several bilateral talks mostly as a result of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act 2022 that was signed into law earlier this year. 

To fully implement the law, we need all hands on deck. I was able to talk to officials of UNFPA, UN Women and Ireland. They are all supportive. They want to see implementation. 

On GEWE, I’m proud to say that the legislative environment in Sierra Leone is quite rich. Now, it is about implementation.

The GEWE Act provides that a minimum of 30 per cent of elective and appointive positions in public and private sectors be reserved for women. So, we are talking about cabinet ministers like myself, heads of parastatals, ambassadors, high commissioners and so on. The GEWE Act also includes a minimum of 30 per cent of top leadership positions for women. 

The law is about mainstreaming gender, and having gender units within all ministries, departments and agencies, and gender-responsive budgeting. 

Access to finance is also part of it. The Bank of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Finance are mandated to come up with new approaches to increase women’s access to finance. There is a plan to create a banking product for women that all financial institutions will sign on to.