Case Study: Women and politics in Sierra Leone
Abstract
Despite the engagement of Sierra Leonean women in the peace process, and efforts to increase women's participation in public life, they face difficulties today in entering parliamentary politics. Since the end of the country’s brutal civil war in 2002, Sierra Leone has had two national and two local elections, with preparations for a third round of national and local elections underway in 2012. Despite some positive changes, especially at the local level, women continue to be underrepresented in Sierra Leone’s political institutions. Sierra Leonean women have a distinguished history of involvement in pre-independence politics. Unfortunately, the country’s chequered political history of coups and counter-coups and one-party authoritarianism in the post-independence era, put an end to women’s political activism. Despite their lack of involvement in politics prior to the civil war, women and women’s organisations have played a vital role in promoting peace and leading high profile campaigns to increase women’s representation in public life. Yet still Sierra Leonean women are poorly represented in parliament and local governance.
Citation
Anon. Case Study: Women and politics in Sierra Leone. Pathways for Women’s Empowerment RPC, Brighton, UK (2011) 2 pp.
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