Moving Women for Sustainable Development Sierra Leone (MoWSuD-SL), with support from the Embassy of Ireland in Sierra Leone, on Friday, October 17th, 2025, commemorated the International Day of the Girl Child with an inspiring and action-driven event held in Waterloo. The celebration brought together both in-school and out-of-school girls to honor their courage, resilience and leadership under the global theme: “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead, Girls on the Frontline of Crises.”
The gathering served as both a celebration and a call to action, urging communities, policymakers and families to invest in girls’ empowerment and create opportunities for them to thrive as leaders, innovators and agents of change. It featured a dynamic Boot Camp Session where participants engaged directly with key stakeholders, including the Family Support Unit (FSU), Rainbo Initiative and local youth leaders, to discuss critical issues such as safety, gender-based violence and online abuse. Through this interactive format, girls were given a rare platform to ask questions, share personal experiences and voice their challenges
in school, at home and within digital spaces.
In her project overview, Mariama Khai Fornah, Executive Director of MoWSuD-SL, introduced the initiative titled: “From Victims to Leaders: Girls Building Digital Resilience.” She explained that the project, which targets girls in Kenema and Western Rural Districts, seeks to equip them with digital literacy, online safety and leadership skills.
“This project is about repositioning girls from victims of digital harm to leaders of resilience and dignity,” Mariama Khai Fornah said. “We want to ensure that every girl understands how to use technology safely, advocate for her rights and build a strong voice in her community.”
Speaking on behalf of the Rainbo Initiative, Francess Nuli Kabu, Communications and Advocacy Officer, underscored the organization’s commitment to providing safe spaces for girls who are survivors of abuse.
“Our doors remain open to every girl in need of protection and support,” she said. “We ensure survivors receive the medical, legal and psychosocial care they deserve. Empowered girls are the foundation of safe and inclusive communities.”
Representing the Family Support Unit (FSU) of the Sierra Leone Police, Michael Williams reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to ensuring justice for survivors of gender-based violence.
“Protecting the girl child is not just a moral duty it’s a national priority,” he emphasized. “The Sierra Leone Police remains firm in handling all cases of sexual and domestic violence with professionalism and sensitivity.”
The event also featured the official launch of the “From Victims to Leaders” project by Marie Bangura, District Youth Council Chairperson, who commended MoWSuD-SL for giving girls a voice and platform to lead. She encouraged parents, educators and local authorities to continue supporting girls in leadership and advocacy.
In her keynote address, Florence Lelima Katta, Executive Director of Media Matters for Women, delivered a stirring message that resonated deeply with participants. She celebrated the strength and vision of girls across Sierra Leone who are confronting crises such as climate change, gender inequality and economic hardship.
“In times of crisis girls are not just victims of circumstance they are innovators, peacebuilders, caregivers, and advocates for justice,” Florence Lelima Katta said. “Yet too often, their voices remain unheard, their rights overlooked and their potential underutilized. Today calls on all of us families, leaders, institutions and communities to create spaces where every girl can learn, lead and thrive without fear or limitation.”
She concluded powerfully: “The girl I am is strong. The change I lead is unstoppable. When we invest in girls’ digital resilience, we are not only protecting them we are building a stronger, more inclusive Sierra Leone where every girl can proudly say: ‘I lead. I protect. I change.’ Together, we rise.”
The project, supported by MoWSuD-SL and its partners, aims to train 100 girls 50 in-school and 50 out-of-school participants in digital safety, leadership, and advocacy. Ten participants will be selected as Digital Champions to mentor peers and lead awareness campaigns in their communities.
To ensure inclusivity, the initiative integrates safe storytelling spaces where girls can share real-life experiences, learn coping strategies, and co-create solutions to the challenges they face both online and offline. Creative workshops, leadership boot camps, and community dialogues will be central to the program’s design ensuring that girls are not passive beneficiaries but active co-leaders of every stage.
At the project’s conclusion, participants will collectively design a Digital Dignity Charter, outlining concrete recommendations for policymakers, educators, and community leaders on promoting safer digital environments for girls. This Charter will serve as both an advocacy tool and a national framework for protecting girls’ rights in the digital era.
By the end of the program, participants are expected to emerge more confident, informed, and resilient able to influence change within their communities and online spaces. The initiative will also enhance community awareness of the risks of online abuse while promoting girl-led advocacy for safety, education, and equality.
Throughout the event, creative performances and spoken-word sessions highlighted girls’ stories of courage, perseverance, and transformation. Participants pledged to support one another and to stand as ambassadors for gender equality and digital empowerment.
As Sierra Leone continues to navigate social and economic challenges, MoWSuD-SL’s initiative underscores the urgent need to center girls in conversations around development, technology, and leadership.
“When girls lead, communities grow stronger, nations become more resilient, and the world moves closer to justice and equality,” said Fornah. “Empowering girls is not just about changing their lives it’s about transforming society.”
The celebration concluded with the reaffirmation of a shared commitment: to build a future where every girl in Sierra Leone whether in school or out of school, online or offline has the freedom, skills and confidence to lead change in her own right.
COMMENTARY Signed in Good Faith, Broken in Practice: The SLPP’s Quiet Betrayal of the National Unity Agreement
A Commentary By Foday Moriba Conteh
When Sierra Leoneans went to the polls on June 23rd, 2023, many hoped the election would consolidate the country’s democratic gains and strengthen public confidence in governance. Instead, the aftermath left a trail of uncertainty and division. The main opposition, the All People’s Congress (APC), citing irregularities and lack of transparency in the tallying process, rejected the results announced by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL).
In a bold political move, the APC declared that it would not participate in governance effectively withdrawing its Members of Parliament, Mayors and Councillors. This unprecedented boycott left the political space tense and fractured, testing the very fabric of Sierra Leone’s democracy.
Months of political stalemate ensued until regional and international mediators including ECOWAS, the African Union and the Commonwealth intervened to broker peace. Their efforts culminated in a three-day dialogue between the Government of Sierra Leone, led by the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the opposition All People’s Congress (APC).
From that dialogue emerged the National Unity Agreement (NUA) a document heralded as a roadmap to political reconciliation and stability. The NUA contained eight key resolutions, each crafted to restore mutual trust, enhance democratic dialogue and strengthen state institutions. Among those resolutions, one stood out for its potential to reshape Sierra Leone’s political culture: the joint condemnation of hate speech, incitement and divisive rhetoric by citizens both at home and abroad.
That clause was more than symbolic. It reflected a collective acknowledgment that Sierra Leone’s biggest threat may not be electoral disputes alone, but the growing culture of toxic political discourse. The Unity Agreement explicitly stated that both parties would “strictly condemn all citizens at home and abroad who incite violence, spread hate speech and disrupt national cohesion,” with Government committing to “bring those involved to justice.”
Yet, over a year since the signing of that agreement, the spirit of that resolution appears to be fading.
To the credit of both the SLPP and the APC, several aspects of the Agreement have been implemented. Opposition lawmakers have since taken their seats in Parliament, cross-party committees have resumed dialogue and the atmosphere in Freetown has somewhat stabilized.
However, the pledge to combat hate speech one of the most crucial commitments remains largely unfulfilled. In recent months, inflammatory remarks by political figures, including senior SLPP officials, have surfaced in both traditional and social media spaces. What has been most disappointing to many Sierra Leoneans is the Government’s silence in response to such remarks.
This selective outrage where only opposition voices are scrutinized or punished for incendiary speech while ruling party members escape censure undermines the very essence of the Agreement. Many citizens now question whether the fight against hate speech was ever about national unity or simply a political convenience to manage public perception.
Ironically, on June 3rd, 2024, the SLPP and APC jointly released a powerful statement reaffirming their commitment to combat hate speech and promote peaceful political discourse. In that joint communiqué, the two parties expressed “deep concern over the rising tensions in political dialogue” and pledged to strengthen democratic institutions, resume regular cross-party communication and protect free speech with responsibility.
The statement outlined key principles:
The declaration was hailed by diplomats and Civil Society actors as a positive step. But as political realities unfolded, the gap between written commitment and practical enforcement became glaring. The joint statement, much like the National Unity Agreement itself, began to feel like an exercise in political optics rather than genuine reform.
At the heart of Sierra Leone’s political problem lies a deep-seated culture of intolerance; one that transcends party lines. Supporters of both major political parties have often resorted to inflammatory language, hate speech and online intimidation. The emergence of social media has further amplified those divisions, turning digital platforms into battlegrounds for partisan attacks.
While freedom of expression remains a cornerstone of democracy, Sierra Leone’s experience shows how easily it can be weaponized. The line between free speech and hate speech has been dangerously blurred, with little institutional will to draw it clearly.
The National Unity Agreement offered an opportunity to reverse this trend, but selective implementation has only deepened public cynicism. The Government’s reluctance to call out its own supporters for incendiary behavior sends a message that hate speech is unacceptable except when politically convenient.
The consequences of this selective approach are profound. Hate speech does not exist in a vacuum; it fuels division, breeds resentment and erodes public trust in state institutions. In a country still recovering from the scars of civil war, such rhetoric can easily ignite tensions and reverse years of peacebuilding efforts.
Moreover, by failing to apply the same standard of accountability to all citizens regardless of political affiliation the Government risks normalizing impunity. When one side is perceived as untouchable, it emboldens extremists and weakens the credibility of national cohesion efforts.
The silence of political leaders in the face of inflammatory speech, particularly from within their own ranks, is not neutrality it is complicity.
True leadership demands moral consistency. It requires the courage to speak truth even when it is politically inconvenient. Both the SLPP and APC must recognize that hate speech, if left unchecked, poses a greater threat to Sierra Leone than partisan rivalry ever could.
The implementation of the National Unity Agreement should not be reduced to a checklist of political compromises; it must be treated as a living commitment to nation-building. The fight against hate speech must be inclusive, impartial and transparent. Civil society, the media and the justice system all have roles to play in ensuring that accountability is not selective.
If the ruling party fails to uphold its own commitments under the National Unity Agreement, it risks eroding the very trust that the agreement was meant to rebuild.
As Sierra Leone awaits the full implementation of the Tripartite Recommendations and looks ahead to future political contests, the stakes for national unity could not be higher. Both major political parties must recommit to the principles of responsible speech and respect for dissent.
The promise of the National Unity Agreement was not merely to end a political boycott, but to redefine the country’s democratic values. That promise remains unfinished.
It is time for the SLPP and APC to move beyond rhetoric and embrace genuine accountability. Hate speech, from any corner, must be condemned without fear or favor. Only then can Sierra Leone truly begin to heal not as two rival camps but as one nation united in purpose and dignity.