Efforts to strengthen women’s participation in national leadership gained renewed momentum as key stakeholders gathered for a national dialogue focused on advancing women’s agency, inclusion, and leadership across Sierra Leone.
The national dialogue took place on March 7, 2026, at the Office of the Vice President in Freetown, where government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, and women leaders met to deliberate on key priorities that will guide the forthcoming National Women’s Conference scheduled for later this year.
The engagement forms part of ongoing national efforts aimed at promoting gender equality and strengthening women’s participation in governance, decision-making, and socio-economic development. Participants used the platform to assess progress made so far while identifying challenges that continue to hinder women’s full participation in leadership and national development processes.
Opening the dialogue, the Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Isata Mahoi, emphasized the importance of inclusive consultations in shaping the country’s women’s agenda. She noted that platforms such as the national dialogue provide women and stakeholders with the opportunity to collectively design solutions that address barriers affecting women and girls across the country.
According to her, advancing gender equality requires sustained collaboration among government institutions, development partners, civil society, and community leaders.
“This platform enables women and stakeholders to collectively shape our national women’s agenda,” she stated, adding that fresh ideas and new perspectives emerging from such engagements are critical to expanding opportunities for women in leadership and development.
Also addressing the gathering, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone, Seraphine Wakana, highlighted the importance of collective action in advancing women’s empowerment. She stressed that achieving meaningful gender equality requires coordinated commitment from governments, international partners, and communities.
Wakana noted that dialogues such as these play a vital role in amplifying women’s voices and ensuring that policies and programmes reflect the realities faced by women across the country.
Development partners also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting gender equality initiatives in Sierra Leone. Representatives from the Government of Ireland’s international development programme emphasized that women’s leadership, participation, and economic empowerment remain key priorities in their development cooperation.
The representative noted that collaboration between government institutions, partners, and communities is essential to sustaining progress in advancing women’s rights and opportunities.
Similarly, Iceland’s Head of Mission, Asdis Bjarnadottir, underscored the importance of creating opportunities that allow women to fully participate in leadership and decision-making processes.
She explained that inclusive leadership helps build stronger, more resilient, and equitable societies, noting that supporting initiatives that amplify women’s voices contributes to lasting gender equality.
Delivering the keynote address, Vice President Juldeh Jalloh acknowledged the critical role women play in driving socio-economic development and national progress. He highlighted recent achievements following the enactment of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, which guarantees a minimum of 30 percent representation for women in Parliament and other public decision-making structures.
While describing the quota as a major milestone, the Vice President emphasized that representation alone is not sufficient to achieve genuine empowerment.
He stressed that strengthening women’s agency, leadership capacity, and participation across various sectors will ensure that women contribute fully to national development.
Dr. Jalloh also referenced the government’s 300 Days Campaign, which aims to accelerate improvements in maternal and child health while addressing broader challenges affecting women and families across the country.
A panel discussion held during the dialogue examined the everyday realities faced by women across Sierra Leone. Panelists identified several key challenges affecting women’s advancement, including limited financial literacy, restricted access to finance, cyber safety concerns, and the need to strengthen inclusion for women with disabilities in leadership and financial services.
Participants also emphasized the importance of improving access to information, strengthening monitoring mechanisms for gender policies, and ensuring effective implementation of legislation designed to promote gender equality.
Stakeholders further proposed the introduction of a “Gender Project of the Year” initiative to recognize innovative and impactful programmes while attracting increased support and funding for initiatives that empower women and girls.
The dialogue also featured interactive group sessions during which participants presented recommendations that will help shape the vision and priorities of the upcoming National Women’s Conference.
Among the key areas identified were women’s health and wellbeing, economic empowerment and financial independence, inclusive participation and representation in governance, capacity building and mentorship for young women, continuous education, and improved access to information about women’s rights.
Participants stressed that empowering women requires not only policy reforms but also practical programmes that enable women to develop leadership skills and actively participate in national development.
The platform allowed women from diverse professional backgrounds—including public service, civil society, academia, and grassroots organizations—to share experiences and propose practical solutions aimed at strengthening women’s leadership nationwide.
Closing the dialogue, Dr. Mahoi thanked participants for their active engagement and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to advancing the women’s empowerment agenda.
She encouraged young women and girls across Sierra Leone to pursue leadership opportunities and play an active role in shaping the country’s future.
The Minister also disclosed that a Gender Accountability Framework has already been developed and implemented for government institutions to ensure compliance with gender equality commitments. She added that similar accountability measures are expected to be extended to the private sector in order to promote wider gender inclusion.
Participants described the national dialogue as an important step toward strengthening collaboration and sustaining momentum in the promotion of gender equality.
They called for continued engagement and concrete action to ensure that policies, programmes, and institutional reforms translate into tangible improvements in the lives of women and girls across Sierra Leone.