By Jariatu S. Bangura
President of WIMSAL, Eastina Taylor
Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL) has commended President Julius Maada Bio for his government’s unwavering commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment in Sierra Leone, as evidenced by the recent election of 41 women to Parliament and the appointment of 20 women to serve as Ministers and Deputy Ministers in his Cabinet.
In an open letter written to President Bio, WIMSAL states that the milestones are a testament to Sierra Leone’s significant progress in promoting women’s participation in leadership and decision-making roles.
“We urge your government to take proactive measures to ensure that women’s representation is not limited to numerical quotas but extends to decision-making roles. It is essential to empower and promote capable women to leadership positions in the Civil service, government boards, Committees, and Commissions, as Ambassadors and High Commissioners, as well as within the security sector, including the Police and the Armed Forces,” the letter states.
The organization drew the attention government to the crucial next steps in fully realising the Act’s objectives, and that whilst considerable progress in the political spheres has been made, it is vital that the 30% representation of women is also reflected in other critical public offices and institutions.
They also stated in the letter that when creating opportunities for training and employment, it is imperative that the 30%
gender quota be consistently applied and reflected in order to encourage gender diversity in all spheres of public service will contribute to a more holistic and equitable society.
“It is believed that women entrepreneurs and business owners deserve equal access to financial services and credit facilities, therefore WIMSAL urged the government financial institutions, such as the Bank of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Finance to enforce equal access and right to finance across all financial institutions,” the letter reads.
