Available news reports say that the Sierra Leone parliament has finally passed a new bill to ensure women a third of parliaments seat, as well as local councillors.
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This new bill, which is said to have been passed by parliament, was a key promise in the 2018 election campaign as the bill will now go to the President, Julius Bio, to be signed into law.
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Although, the drafting of the bill took three years for the unanimous approval by the cabinet, it is still a very welcome development.
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An earlier draft stipulated a slightly lower 30 percent quota but was eventually amended.
Very currently, only 19 of Sierra Leone’s 146 members of parliament are women.
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Rugiatu Rosy Kanu, an opposition member of parliament and deputy chair of a parliamentary committee on gender and children’s affairs said, ” We want men and women to work together in making our society better.” Hence, not all believe the legislation goes far enough.
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Generally, the belief is that we should have more space for women interested in politics and encourage more women to go into politics.
