UN affirms support to Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs.

The UN Resident Coordinator, Mr Babatunde Ahonsi, recently met with the Hon. Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Ms Manty Tarawalli, to discuss mutual priorities relating to gender equality and child welfare in Sierra Leone. This included the importance of elevating the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment policy into law and supporting its implementation throughout society. Both parties recognized the importance of gender mainstreaming in all ministries, including in budgeting and program design, to truly bring about transformative change. The UN stated its commitment to work with the Ministry and other partners to create an enabling environment for women in leadership roles, agreeing on the need to mainstream gender in all preparatory steps to support and prepare women early for their full participation in democratic processes especially as candidates for elective offices. The UN Resident Coordinator congratulated the Government of Sierra Leone on its efforts to reduce sexual and gender-based violence and the establishment of the MUNAFA Fund, a recently launched national micro-credit scheme that sets aside 40 percent of loans for women entrepreneurs. Creating an environment where women and men can contribute equally to economic development is critical for realizing the goals of Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.