By: Precious Miracle Kargbo (Snr)
The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, represented by Minister Isata Mahoi, has reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and promoting gender equality at the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70).
Delivering the Ministry’s statement at the international forum, Minister Mahoi emphasized that sexual and reproductive health and rights remain central to the Ministry’s mandate to protect and empower women and children across Sierra Leone.
She highlighted SHAPE as one of the Ministry’s flagship initiatives aimed at expanding access to reproductive health services. According to her, the programme focuses on improving the availability of contraceptives, strengthening maternal healthcare services, and expanding youth-friendly health services in both urban and rural districts.
Minister Mahoi also outlined the Empower HER programme, which she described as a complementary initiative designed to enhance legal protection and economic empowerment for women. The programme supports community outreach, legal aid clinics, and livelihood opportunities for women, with the aim of addressing the underlying factors that contribute to gender inequality.
She noted that the Ministry’s strategy integrates healthcare services with legal protection and socioeconomic support to translate national policies into meaningful outcomes for women and girls.
The Minister further emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening data collection and monitoring systems to help identify service gaps, guide resource allocation, and assess the impact of programmes.
According to her, community engagement remains a key priority for the Ministry, particularly in addressing stigma and ensuring that services are culturally appropriate and accessible, especially for young and marginalized girls.
At the CSW70 forum, the Ministry also called for increased international support to help expand successful programmes. Minister Mahoi appealed to development partners to provide predictable financing and technical assistance to strengthen frontline health services.
She also urged partners to support improved supply chains for essential medicines and expand community outreach initiatives implemented by the Ministry and its local partners.
Civil society representatives attending the session welcomed the Ministry’s integrated approach, noting that the SHAPE and Empower HER programmes address both immediate reproductive health needs and the broader structural factors driving gender inequality.
By highlighting these initiatives at CSW70, the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs signalled its commitment to translating global commitments into coordinated national action that protects the rights and expands opportunities for women and girls across Sierra Leone.