By Mary Kabay
Women’s Network Against Rural Plantations Injustice (WoNARPI) in collaboration with Sound and Arts for Change (SACh) on the 21st September 2021 convened an inaugural national leadership meeting of rural agricultural women affected by (large scale) plantation injustice.
Aminata Finda Massaquoi, the National Coordinator for WoNARPI in her statement intimated that the organization consists of women who are affected by large scale agricultural activities in different communities across the country and those that are seeking to change the status quo. Dilating on the significance of forming a network she maintained that women are affected the most when their husbands suffer rural injustice by certain investors furthering how they also suffer directly when they cannot cultivate their crops on farms and gardens.
She highlighted that one of the main aims of the organization borders around advocating for women in rural communities who are seriously deprived as a result of the setting up of large scale plantations. According to her, they are laying the foundation and building relationships, systems and structures geared towards addressing the numerous problems and adverse effects women in affected communities face as a result of many large scale investments.
The keynote speaker during the event was Charles Vandy, the Director of Gender Affairs within the Ministry of Gender and Children Affairs. He elaborated on the issue of gender and the inclusion of women in decision making in all facets of leadership positions. He also underscored that rural women suffer when it comes to issues that are related to enjoying good facilities in the country stating that most times they are marginalized to the core.
The Director pointed out that the 2015 Land Policy of the Ministry of Lands put a stop to the disenfranchisement of women to access land further laying emphasis on women empowerment.
Statements were also made by certain stakeholders. Hon. Siaka Musa Sama expressed delight to be part of the meeting saying he considers it as a fulfillment of purpose rather than opportunity.
He shared his experiences with the women and gave a statistics of women in labour stating that most of them have nothing positive to show as a World Bank survey mentioned.
Theophilus Sahr Gbenda from the Community Media Network Sierra Leone (CoMNet-SL) encouraged the women to reach out to their various communities and make their voices known assuring that as they have started working with them they will continue to do so.
The Executive President of Sierra Leone Women In Journalism (SLAWIJ) Millicent Kargbo said she is ready to throw her full support behind the organization adding that as her organization is female based one they are ready to empower and promote them at the national level. She informed that it was deliberate to do the formal launching of the organization on the same day that the International Day of Peace and Mono Culture Tree Plantation Day were observed. Millicent congratulated the Executive members of the organization and also pledged her organization’s support to women in agriculture.
The highpoint of the event was the formal launch of WoNARPI at the Council of Churches Sierra Leone Hall on Kingharman Road in Freetown by Human Rights Commissioner, Simitie Lavarly. Before doing so she briefly explained about the role of the Human Rights Commission- Sierra Leone and encouraged the women to empower themselves educationally or sponsor their children to be well educated. The event was climaxed with pledges and statements of commitment by the regional heads.
