By Alvin Lansana Kargbo
Freetown Mayor, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, has successfully hosted the 4th Nalafem Summit, bringing together 100 influential leaders from across Africa to push beyond symbolic representation and champion transformative female leadership in politics, peacebuilding and crisis response. The two-day event, held at the New Brookfield Hotel and concluding today, convened under the theme: “From Representation to Power: Women Leading in Crisis & Peace,” focused on empowering African women to secure and sustain power amid systemic barriers.
Founded by prominent Pan-African activist Aya Chebbi, the Nala Feminist Collective or Nalafem, has quickly grown over four years into a vital political home for young feminist leaders across the continent. Aya Chebbi’s opening remarks set a powerful tone, celebrating Sierra Leone’s resilience as a nation that overcame war, resisted colonization and nurtured a new generation of determined women leaders. Aya Chebbi honored the countless women whose leadership journeys begin in the toughest conditions, from rural classrooms to refugee camps and called for unity and collective resistance against patriarchal and colonial systems.
Aya Chebbi highlighted the urgent need for structural transformation, pointing out that Africa currently has only two female presidents and that women under 35 make up less than two percent of Parliamentarians continent-wide. “Representation alone is not enough. We need systems that not only protect women but empower them to lead and sustain power despite backlash and harassment,” Aya Chebbi declared. She further emphasized sexual and reproductive health rights as fundamental to women’s autonomy and leadership potential. In a poignant political statement, Aya Chebbi condemned efforts to silence female voices and expressed solidarity with women activists facing punishment, calling for their protection and release. She also announced the launch of “Nala Notes,” a new initiative acknowledging the emotional and physical labor borne by African women leaders.
Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr shared a deeply personal journey underscoring her steadfast commitment to community service and crisis leadership. She recounted founding a children’s trust during Sierra Leone’s civil war in 1999 and returning home to fight Ebola in 2014, describing how moments of crisis compelled her to turn concern into decisive action. “The transition from concern to action is crucial,” Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said, emphasizing that true leadership is born of empathy and courage despite personal sacrifice.
Reflecting on her tenure as mayor, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr spoke passionately about shifting Freetown’s development agenda beyond rebuilding infrastructure toward transforming lives. With her renewed vision, “Transform Freetown: Transforming Lives,” Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr aims to create 120,000 decent jobs for women and youth by 2028, prioritizing empowerment and community impact. “When women lead, we don’t diminish opportunities; we create new ones and enrich what already exists,” Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr asserted. She also addressed the persistent barriers women face in leadership and urged young women to believe in themselves and claim their rightful place in shaping Africa’s future. “Our leadership is an act of faith, service to God and to our people. We must claim our rightful space with self-belief, competence and perseverance,” Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr declared.
Kenyan policy advisor and feminist leader Rose Wachuka challenged attendees to completely reimagine power structures. Rose Wachuka called for a shift from celebrating “the first woman” in leadership roles to establishing female leadership as the norm. “Representation is not power. We need to move from symbolic gestures to structural change that truly redistributes power,” Rose Wachuka urged. Rose Wachuka emphasized that Africa needs leaders grounded in the realities of daily life, from access to clean water to managing border challenges and stressed the importance of electing leaders based on character and tangible impact rather than populist appeal.
The summit’s collective message was clear: women’s leadership must no longer be exceptional but essential. The 4th Nalafem Summit stands as a rallying point for African women determined to claim, build and sustain power, transforming their communities and the continent as a whole.
