By Mary Kabay
The 50/50 Group, with support from the European Union and in collaboration with its partners held a press conference at the entity’s auditorium on 50 OAU Drive, Tower Hill in Freetown on the 14th March 2022 ahead of a two-day conference that will be organized for women from all walks of life across the sixteen districts of the country.
In attendance were members of the Fourth Estate comprising mainly female members, representatives from different women led organizations, Haja Demu Sesay, Haja Mariama Fofana, Aisha Fofana Ibrahim, Haja Alimatu Y Abdullah, Programme Manager, Sahr Kendema, Dr.Nemata Majeks- Walker and Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff Regional Executive Member, all of the 50/50 Group.
Sahr Kendema and Madam Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff informed all present that the two-day conference which is slated to be held on the 16th and 17th March 2022 will serve as a platform to discuss issues around the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Bill out of which recommendations will be made in order to have one message that all women adhere to regardless of their various stations in life.
According to Sahr looking at the gender equality and women empowerment bill there are amendments that should be done before taking the Bill to Parliament admonishing that all women need to speak with one voice irrespective of the office or place they find themselves.
On her part, the Regional Executive member, Madam Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff underscored that the national conference for women is meant to meant for women to speak with one voice to the Government about the need for more inclusion into governance and other State matters.
She added that from now to the next thirty years they will no longer be more effective to be female champions maintaining that if the younger ones are not being given the right platform in the constitution and other legal papers the rights of women will be trampled upon. She also admonished the young girls to come onboard and play active roles in the gender equality and women empowerment bill for them to understand the scope of how things are done.
Madam Yasmin encouraged all women and the media to be precise to join them stating how thirty years before this time they were very young and thirty years after they are now old and the success of achieving such now lies in the hands of the young generation.
The conference was climaxed by the present President of the 50/50 Group, Haja Alimatu Y Abdullah reading a Press Release which states:
National Women’s Conference on the Theme: Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) in an Age of Constitutional Change:
The 50/50 Group, with support from European Union and in collaboration with its partners :ActionAid International SL, the Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice, Campaign for Good Governance, Search for Common Grounds, Trocair and Manor River Women’s Peace Network(MARWOPNET) are organizing a national women’s conference from the 16th to 17th March 2022 at the 50/50 Auditorium, 50 OAU Drive Tower Hill on the theme: “Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in an Age of Constitutional Change”.
The conference will bring together women from all the sixteen districts of Sierra Leone and different economic, political and social backgrounds to discuss priority areas identified in the 2021 GEWE Bill, the Government White Paper vis-a- vis the Women’s Position Paper on the Constitutional Review Process and develop a national action plan that can guide parliamentarians in enactment of A GEWE LAW FOR ALL. The Rt. Hon. Speaker Dr. Abass Bundu will deliver the keynote address.
The invited guest will be diplomats, Parliamentarians, Cabinet Ministers and others who will deliver statements on behalf of their institutions. There will also be panel discussion during which eminent women who are committed to gender equality and women’s empowerment will give their perspectives and map the way forward for gender equality for sustainable development.
