By Amadu S. Bah
A high-level meeting with the private sector was held on the implementation of the ender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022. The meeting was held last Wednesday 11 January at the Aberdeen Hall, Raddison Blu Hotel, Aberdeen.
The UN Partnership for Gender Mainstreaming in Ministry Departments and Agencies Initiative is an initiative developed out of a partnership between the Government of Sierra Leone and UN Women in Sierra Leone with the objective of discussing and accelerating the implementation of the GEWE Act 2022 in the country.
In her opening statement on ensuring the GEWE Act 2022 is well implemented in Sierra Leone, Project Manager of Gender Mainstreaming in Ministry Departments and Agencies Ms. Mariama Z. Gbao said that the implementation of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022 requires collaboration and concerted efforts by government, civil societies, UN agencies donor partners and most importantly the private sector.
She noted that UN Women hope that with this unique strategic alliance, Sierra Leone will bridge the gap with global norms and national commitments to gender equality as enshrined in the GEWE Act of 2022.
Making her remark in the high-level meeting, the Head of Office UN Women, Madam Setcheme Mongbo, started by congratulating the Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs for setting a visionary leadership by making the GEWE Act a reality in Sierra Leone.
She also acknowledged the leadership of President Bio for pushing internally and internationally forward the rights of women.
She noted that the UN Women wants businesses to know that a new thing has happened. She noted that the Gender Equality and Women’s Empower Act 2022 has responsibilities including for the private sector.
She marked that the UN Women is not alone but in a group of the UN family, including UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF to support the implementation of the GEWE policy. She said the UN Women with private companies developed a set of tools called Women’s Empowerment Principle and using those tools will allow companies to check themselves on where they are in promoting gender through their businesses.
Speaking on behalf of businesses, the President for the Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce Mr. Christo Forster noted that the chamber before this time has shown great interest in the promotion of equality and Women’s empowerment. He stated that chamber partnered with the IFC and the World Bank to develop a training program cddddd Women on Board and that for the past few years, whenever the chamber receives a request from a government statutory body to make a recommendation of for a member to represent the chamber in the boards they have always recommended a woman.
He emphasized that gender equality is not just a philanthropic thing but makes positive economic sense. Mr. Foster said for women to take up responsibility they need to be capacitated.
Giving the Keynote address, the Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Madam Manty Trawalie, started by expressing her profound gratitude to her fellow women for having been part of the journey which has given birth to the GEWE Act 2022.
She noted that issues around women’s empowerment started fifty years ago, but for the past two years, the Ministry has been on shoulders to make it a reality. The Minister went on to reaffirm the Ministry’s commitment to engage other ministries and members of the public on the implementation of the GEWE Act 2022. Madam Manty called on the private sector, ministries and agencies to be part of the history, by giving women opportunities as enrshrined in the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022.
“Gender Mainstreaming in Ministry Departments and Agencies will continue” she concluded.
