December 9, 2021
By Aruna Kamara
The President of the Progressive Women Organization- Sierra Leone, Madam Rassie Bah has said that they are determined to ensure that women are empowered to contribute to the development of the country.
Speaking to this Medium shortly after the launching of the organization last week, Madam Bah said that they want to change the mentality of men about women who they have labeled to be at the background instead of coming to the fore to contribute to national development.
According to her, ‘’ we want to empower women in different ways so that they will be in better position to have a say in the governance of the country and their self-growth, adding that we want to ensure that their livelihoods are improved through initiatives like basic literacy to embark on business to help to support their children in schools.’’
Madam Bah added that ‘’ we also want to ensure that we have women becoming councilors , MPS and holding other positions of trust in the society as what men can do women can do it better. The women need to take center stage or be by the side of men to contribute to nation building. We want to change the negative perception that women should just be in the kitchen.’’
Janet Katta , a women in Bo said that ‘’we hope Progressive Women Organization will champion the crusade of changing the negative perception of women in the country, as the men have held to negative notions that women are weak which according to her cannot be taken for granted.’’
She countered male stereotype views saying: “some of us are highly educated than the men and we are more development oriented than the men, and we are not really challenging the men but they need to see reason and allow us to be holding out our own in working for national good,’’ she said.
Madam Katta said that “we want to thank President Bio for the Gender Empowerment Bill being tabled in Parliament and we are calling on the members of parliament to do the needful to ensure that the women have more voice in the society to enhance development in the country.’’