By Millicent Senava Mannah In a significant move to bolster gender inclusion and women’s political representation, the Office of the Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, hosted an engagement session with female Members of Parliament on November 4, 2025. The high-level dialogue, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Freetown, centered on electoral reform, constitutional review, and gender empowerment.
The engagement was supported by the European Union through International IDEA under the Sierra Leone Democracy Strengthening Programme. In his keynote address, Chief Minister Dr. Sengeh underscored the government’s commitment to radical inclusion and gender equity. He emphasized that the government’s focus on women stems from their historical marginalization and reaffirmed that reforms will prioritize women through policy changes, inclusive laws, and structural adjustments.
Dr. Sengeh highlighted several core recommendations from the Tripartite Report targeting women’s inclusion. These include amending electoral laws, reducing nomination fees, and defining electoral-related gender-based violence as an election offense. He stressed the need to embed a 30% women’s representation quota across all electoral levels through the Electoral Act, while promoting Proportional Representation as a means to ensure more women in parliament.
In her statement, Hon. Wuyata Bernadette Songa, Head of the Female Parliamentarians Caucus, praised the Chief Minister for his leadership and swift response to issues affecting women. She reaffirmed the caucus’s commitment to advancing women’s voices in politics and lawmaking. Hon. Songa also reflected on the challenges women face, noting they are often assigned to difficult constituencies where electoral victory is uncertain. She expressed hope that the adoption of the Proportional Representation system would guarantee fairer representation.
Addressing the constitutional aspect, Deputy Minister of Justice, Hon. Saptieu Elizabeth Saccoh, highlighted the importance of integrating gender equality within the constitutional review process. She revealed that Section 27 of the 1991 Constitution is being revised to eliminate loopholes that perpetuate gender discrimination. Hon. Saccoh further explained that new constitutional provisions will secure women’s land rights, strengthen protections against gender-based violence, and ensure parity across all forms of marriage.
Sahr Kendema of the Campaign for Good Governance called for serious efforts to achieve gender parity in representative politics, including political parties ensuring a 30% female representation in public elections. He emphasized the importance of sustaining engagement for women’s empowerment in Sierra Leone.
The engagement concluded with an open discussion, where participants shared personal experiences and raised questions on governance and gender representation. The event marked a significant step toward mainstreaming women’s voices in Sierra Leone’s reform agenda, reflecting the government’s commitment to equality and inclusive governance.
