𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐨 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧

Members of Parliament on Tuesday, 15^th November, 2022 enacted into law a progressive piece of legislation, “The Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022”.

The Act seeks, among other things, to address gender imbalances with a specific focus on the following:

At least 30% representation in Cabinet;

At least 30% representation in Parliament

At least 30% of all appointment as Ambassadors/High Commissioners;

At least 30% of all appointment in Local Councils;

At least 30% of all appointment in the
Civil Service;

At least 30% of all appointment in private institutions with more than 25 employees;

Maternity leave extended from 12 weeks to 14 weeks;

Financial inclusion for women;

Mainstreaming gender requirements across all sectoral policies and legal frameworks;

Gender-responsive and gender-sensitive budgeting;

The creation of a multi-sectoral Gender Steering Committee to oversee the implementation of the Act has been agreed.

The Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Madam Manty Tarawalli thanked Members of Parliament for enacting “A progressive piece of legislation”

She said, “This legislation affirms President Julius Maada
Bio’s unwavering commitment to placing women at the centre of national development, transforming the lives of women, providing for the statutory empowerment and representation of women, promoting and protecting women’s rights, and creating a progressive Sierra Leone”.

Ibrahim Tommy of CARL wrote on social media yesterday, “This is a huge step forward”.