Sierra Leone: Campaign Encourages Women’s Participation in Local Government Elections

Despite concrete steps to advance peace and democratic development in Sierra Leone since the end of the civil war in 2001, Sierra Leonean women continue to face significant challenges to full participation in politics.

On July 5, Sierra Leoneans elected councilors, chairpersons, and mayors, for 19 local government councils across the country. The July elections provided an opportunity to increase the number, effectiveness, and visibility of women participating in political life, and following these elections the percentage of councilors who are women increased from 11 percent to almost 19 percent.

NDI worked before the elections to help increase women’s political skills and effective participation as candidates, voters, and activists within civil society organizations and political parties. Under the banner “Ep Bil Salone Wit Uman Dem” (Help Build Sierra Leone With Women), NDI and its partners trained 211 of 221 female candidates on campaign planning and message development, public speaking, and fundraising. NDI also conducted town hall meetings focused on the value of women’s participation in politics, held forums featuring women candidates, and worked with local partners to develop and implement a intensive media campaign to advance women’s rights.

Prominent women politicians from elsewhere in Africa, including former members of parliament Hon. Miria Matembe (Uganda), Hon. Grace Mwewa (Kenya), and Hon. Hanna Tetteh (Ghana), and Hon. Saudatu Sani, member of the House of Representatives in Nigeria, traveled to Sierra Leone to train female candidates and promote women’s participation in political life.

Following the elections, to assist elected women who are serving in office for the first time, NDI is conducting workshops on the laws and protocol for local government councils, constituency outreach, and development planning so that women councilors, including some who are illiterate, are better prepared to serve the needs of their communities over the next four years.

Pictured above: Women participating in the recent 50/50 Group march in Freetown.