By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a bid to promote gender equality, women’s empowerment and girls’ rights, UN Women in Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the High Commission of India, commemorated International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 8, 2025. The event, held at the Sierra Palms Hotel on Lumley Beach Road in Freetown, was themed: “For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality and Empowerment.”
Setecheme Jeronime Mongbo, Head of Office at UN Women Sierra Leone, emphasized the importance of reinforcing gender equality and women’s empowerment for the benefit of all. Addressing the Indian community at the event, she stressed the need for collective efforts to achieve those goals.
She highlighted that UN Women’s focus in celebrating International Women’s Day is to foster unity and engage women on empowerment issues. Setecheme Jeronime Mongbo also underscored the Government’s responsibility in defining, coordinating, assessing and reporting on policies related to women’s rights, equality and empowerment.
“Women are underrepresented in leadership roles. However, research shows that when private companies deliberately empower women as agents or business partners, they achieve greater success. Investing in women is not just the right thing to do it is a smart business strategy,” she stated.
She encouraged private companies to place more trust in women leaders and not hesitate to empower them. The Head of Office at UN Women also applauded the Indian High Commission’s efforts, expressing UN Women’s willingness to strengthen partnerships with the Indian community in future initiatives.
Deputy Chief Director at the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Charles Vandy, emphasized that women should be celebrated every day, not just on March 8. He commended the Indian community for supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment in Sierra Leone.
He noted that while the Government has enacted several laws to protect and uplift women, legislation alone is not enough. He called for stronger partnerships between the Government and private sector to drive real progress in gender equality.
Founder and Director of the College of Digital Excellence (CODE), Niharika Agnani, emphasized the need for women to be recognized and safeguarded, questioning societal norms that necessitate laws and regulations to protect them. She underscored the importance of raising children with the right values, noting that empowerment begins at home with mothers playing a vital role in shaping both boys and girls.
“Why do we need to depend on others to safeguard us? Why can’t we be just ourselves?” Niharika Agnani questioned, advocating for a cultural shift where women can thrive without external protection. Reflecting on her own journey, she shared her experiences growing up in India and her involvement in street theater to raise awareness about women’s rights.
Having lived in Sierra Leone for 30 years, Niharika Agnani considers the country her home. She highlighted her long-standing commitment to education, dating back to her work with schools (Sainik School & Army School) before transitioning to education initiatives in Sierra Leone in 2005. As the founder of CODE, established in April 2021 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Niharika Agnani has been committed to building digital literacy and empowering people, particularly women, to break barriers in technology.
“Most ICT courses are designed with male students in mind. We have to break those barriers,” Niharika Agnani stated, recounting the inspiring story of a former cleaner at CODE who took the initiative to learn computer skills and is now a marketer. “If a cleaner can train and become a marketer, nothing is impossible.”
Indian High Commissioner, Baisnab Charan Prabdhan, underscored that International Women’s Day serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggles for gender equality and empowerment.
“Every woman must have equal access to economic opportunities, healthcare and education,” he said, adding that women’s active participation is crucial to societal progress.
He further emphasized that “an educated woman brings prosperity to society and helps build a strong home. Women’s empowerment also leads to better governance and national development.”
The event marked a significant step toward strengthening collaboration between UN Women, the Indian community and the Government in advancing gender equality and empowerment in Sierra Leone.
