By: Sulaiman Karim Sesay
Director of Gender, Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Charles Vandy, had recently asserted that political empowerment for women should be driven by economic empowerment.
Vandy said if women must survive in politics they must be economically empowered. Vandy stressed the need for state and non-state actors to put structures in place for women, especially the younger ones so that they will take over from the older ones in politics.
Commissioner, National Youth Commission, N’golo Katta noted that women constitute majority of the country’s population. He said one should expect a better dividend from these young women.
He however stressed the need for skills development among women who are venturing into politics, for according to him, what will be the need if the spaces are created for these women and they lack the necessary skills.
Executive Director, Campaign for Good Governance (CGG), Marcella Samba Sesay recently recruited about 200 women from across the country. She disclosed that she had had what she described as training on advocacy and on transformational leadership.
She stressed the need for inclusion and participation of women is to make their way through in the political arena.
In an interview with Awoko Newspaper, Honorable Dr. Banadette Lahai told this medium that enactment of laws that favors women in politics will be very crucial to getting women to fully participate into politics and occupy leadership positions.
She said part of the GEWE Policy is what has been translated into bill, adding that it is that part that addresses the issue of access to finance for women, women’s participation in decision making into elective and appointment positions.
She mentioned that some other bills which she did not name have also been put together to address some of these concerns.
Dr. Lahai stated that very few women are in elected positions, and are not too factored into governance. She maintained that women are marginalized and are mostly not given the opportunity to aspire for leadership positions. “I don’t think women are shy when it comes to aspiring for leadership positions, if women are given access to education and are empowered, they will take leadership positions,” she said.
She noted that women constitute majority of the country’s population, but are always not at the helm of affairs when it come to decision making. “Women have for a long time not given the opportunity to empower themselves that is why we have some many women not into governance,” she opined.
Deputy Minister of Gender and Children Affairs, Boaki Bindi Hindowa disclosed that the GEWE Bill which has been laid before parliament will create 30% safe seats for women in both elective and appointive positions.
Quality Insurance Officer and National Coordinator, for Women in Politics, Bariatu Turay Alghali, if women are to effectively participate in politics, they must be given the platform to be able to articulate issues which serves as a barrier to their agenda.
Turay said that she has had the skill on how to interact with women occupying the above mentioned positions. “Being in those positions has given me the platform to be able to encourage women to push forward and occupy leadership position,” she said.
She told this medium that it is about time women came forward and participate in politics. She said he and a group of other women have galvanized fellow women for them to venture into politics without being discriminated.
He said it is in that spirit that his ministry has laid before the House of Parliament a bill titled “the Gender and Women’s Empowerment Bill,” after it gets cabinet approval a few months ago.
He disclosed that the bill, when completed, will ensure that women have reserved 30% seat in both elective and appointive positions.
This story was put together with support from Journalists from Human Right (JHR) and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ).
