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In 2023, history was made in Sierra Leone when the president, Julius Maada Bio, signed into law the Gender Equality and Empowerment Act. The law was to promote and empower women across many fields of endeavour.
This article examines the law’s impact on Sierra Leone’s political landscape, focusing on the women’s 30 per cent quota act during and after the nationwide elections on June 24, 2023. The small West African nation has long been a patriarchal society, with female counterparts reduced to the “backyards” of their homes and communities.
In November 2022, the country’s law-making arm passed “The Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment” Act (commonly called the ‘GEWE’ Act). In January 2023, President Julius Maada Bio assented to the Bill and gave the new law power of expression.
This Act undeniably and significantly helped to change the male-domination narratives that had, for a very long time, surrounded the country’s political, social, economic, education, and other key sectors within Sierra Leone’s borders.
The GEWE Act grants Sierra Leonean women the 30 per cent quota they had clamoured for against both past and present governments for ages; fortunately, the act, via the strong fight of the country’s First Lady, Ms Dr Fatima Maada Bio, together with partners and strong women’s groups, championed the passing into law of the GEWE Act, providing women with huge opportunities in all walks of life in the small West African nation of Sierra Leone.
GEWE Act passed into law
The clamour for a 30 per cent quota by women, including women’s groups like the famous 50/50 Women’s Group, Sierra Leone’s Association of Women in Journalism (SLAWIJ), and UN Women, was long overdue. It was time for Sierra Leone’s women population to make a “breakthrough into various professional areas” in the country.
The law was passed with support and lobbying from different women groups, including the “He4She” campaigners. As stated earlier, the act grants women the right to strategic positions in their numerous places of work and professions.
More than a year on, DUBAWA gauges citizens’ views regarding the impact of the GEWE Act
Citizens–who are undoubtedly the most important people who have the power to make political decisions/changes in every electoral process—could not be left out of this research finding. The reporter randomly sought the views of some Freetownians regarding the impact of the 30 per cent quota granted to women via the GEWE Act.
Susan Massaquoi is a mother of two and a private worker in Freetown. Speaking to this researcher, she noted that the 30 per cent quota granted by the government to women was a huge plus to women in the country.
“Trust me, the GEWE act passed by parliament last year (2023) – was a huge success for the large number of women we presently see in parliament and the current government of President Bio. I hope such a huge win will continue forever in our country,” she added.
She also indicated further that the government did well by passing the law and served as a reminder that what men can do–women can do better.
“I am a trader with little interest in politics, but I must state that in last year’s election, we really saw the large participation of women in the country’s body politics. For instance, I am aware that because of the passing into law of the GEWE Act, both major political parties gave safe seats/spaces to women, and now our parliament can boast of the highest-ever women representation than any time in our political history,” Fatmata Dumbuya, a petty trader in Freetown, explained her experience regarding the impact of the GEWE Act.
Mohamed Jabati, a youth activist, told this researcher that he is more than happy as a youth leader to see women taking centre stage in the country’s developmental trajectory. He noted that as a leader, he is leading both male and female people.
“For me, the gender equality act was a huge deal for women in the country. The president and his government did very well to have lobbied the parliament to pass into law the said act–granting the women folks the aged 30 per cent quota they’d clamoured for years,” Jabati noted.
How the Act impacted political parties’ decisions during the 2023 national elections
The GEWE Act–was to promote the robust participation and empowerment of women in all walks of life in the country’s national development trajectory. That was evidenced in the decisions of major political parties in the country—including the ruling Sierra Leone’s People’s Party (SLPP), and the main opposition party–All People’s Congress (APC), during the national elections.
Both the SLPP and APC political parties offered “safe political spaces” to women
During the June 24, 2023, nationwide polls—both the Sierra Leone People’s Party – SLPP, and the main opposition All People’s Congress – APC parties–agreed to give the country’s women, who are about 51 per cent of the country’s population, the opportunity to occupy safe political spaces within the political parties.
It is obvious that prior to enacting tthe GEWE Act, Sierra Leone’s female parliamentary representation was 14.5 per cent, which was below the 18.4 percent average recommended for female MP representation in West Africa by IPU’s regional averages data for female MPs in the subregion.
As a result of the new law, the present percentage of women MPs is at–30.4 per cent.
This accounts for 41 seats occupied by women MPs out of 135 in the June nationwide polls in the West African state.
Government’s reaction to the continuous empowerment of women after the 2023 polls
Apart from parliamentary roles, the present government continues to empower women by giving them cabinet and other executive positions in the state’s day-to-day administration.
Now referred to as the “Women’s Champion” by the UN Women –Sierra Leone– an international women’s organisation, the president has made landmark appointments of women in strategic political positions.
One key appointment was that of the First Female Attorney-General and Minister of Justice – Dr Pricella Schartz. Again, the first female Acting Speaker of Parliament, Veronica Kadie Sesay — of the ruling SLPP–was elected by the “House of Parliament.”
Women’s groups’ reaction regarding President Bio’s appointments of women in strategic positions
Women’s groups (including the 50/50 Group, Sierra Leone Association of Women in Journalism (SLAWiJ), Women in Journalism Sierra Leone (WiMSAL), and UN Women expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the president and his government for the significant female appointments to his cabinet and even to the civil and public services.
These groups also commended not only the parliament for passing the GEWE Act into law but also the First Lady of the Land for her resilience and passion for women.
Huge political and financial support mechanisms
The Act spurred the establishment of support mechanisms for women in politics, such as training programmes, mentorship initiatives, and financial support to help female candidates campaign effectively, and that greatly helped most of them to win the positions or parliamentary seats they have vied for together with their male counterparts from other political parties.
Increase in female representation during the recent polls
As a direct consequence of the quota system, the number of women candidates who contested in the 2023 elections was higher than in previous elections. This increased the likelihood of women being elected and holding positions of power within the government.
Massive political engagements
The presence of a legal framework encouraging women’s political participation empowered more women to become politically active and engage in campaigns. The Act provided a sense of legitimacy and encouraged more women to take leadership roles within their parties.
Famous Social Media Influencer and Brand Ambassador’s Perspective
Vickie Remoe is one of Sierra Leone’s most popular social media influencers and marketing experts. In her social media post, she praised the government of President Bio for honouring the age-old calls for women to be given “equal” opportunities with their male counterparts in Sierra Leone’s developmental trajectory.
She noted that the Act is a huge achievement for the women in the country.
Conclusion
Overall, the GEWE Act is dubbed as a catalyst for change in Sierra Leone, fostering a more inclusive political environment and contributing to a significant increase in women’s participation in the 2023 national elections and beyond.
The Act is unarguably a landmark legislation aimed at promoting gender equality and increasing women’s representation in various sectors, including politics, law, banking, the private sector, and other significant fields.
