By Kemo Cham
The Sierra Leone Parliament has rekindled the process of actualizing a long held dream of an Affirmative Action Law geared towards empowerment of women.
Discussions as part of an effort to prepare an Affirmative Action Bill for eventual enactment went underway this week in a workshop organized by the Female Caucus in the House.
The workshop which ended on Wednesday heard appeals for renewed efforts from lawmakers and other stakeholders.
The Affirmative Action law is intended to provide the road map towards a document that addresses issues affecting women and children in the country. It will also be the basis for Sierra Leone to attain the global target of 30 percent quota of women in governance.
Clerk of Parliament, Paran Umar Tarawally, told the opening session of the meeting that given its posture for women’s empowerment, the Bio administration was committed to a course that seeks to overcome the challenges that are affecting women. He urged the female MPs to work collaboratively with each other to achieve the aims and objectives that are embedded in the affirmative action for women's empowerment.
Veronica Kadie Sesay, President of the Parliamentary Female Caucus, called on her colleague female MPs to put aside political party affiliations and give priority to issues concerning the welfare and development of women and children.
Sahr E. Juana, SLPP MP and representative of the Leader of Government Business in the House, called for action, rather than endless preparation.
“In dealing with women’s issues, it is high time we moved from preparation to actualization,” he said, while reiterating the commitment of the House to the interest of women.
The workshop, which was held on the theme: “Engaging National Stakeholders for Gender Sensitive Laws and Policies in Sierra Leone”, was supported by the Parliament, in collaboration with the United Nations through its sister agencies: the United Nations Peace Building, United Nations for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Development Programme.
A representative of the UN family, Mary Akumu, spoke on the need for the 30% quota relating to women’s participation in politics. She also cited several over issues affecting women, like the Sexual Offences Act, which she said are all relevant to the attainment of the objectives set out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and crucial for the development of Sierra Leone.
Published in print on 4 July 2019
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