Remarks at the Launch of the Women’s Empowerment Principles in Sierra Leone By Babatunde Ahonsi UN Resident Coordinator

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Gender equality cannot be accomplished by a single entity or organization. Attaining gender equality and ensuring women’s empowerment is everyone’s business. Today, we witness the start of a journey of collaboration between the UN and Africell in their efforts to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in the private sector.

Today we celebrate Africell as the first Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Signatory in Sierra Leone and commend their efforts to advance gender equality.  Congratulations Africell!

The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are a set of principles offering guidance to businesses on how to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community. Established by UN Women and UN Global Compact, the WEPs are informed by international labour and human rights standards and are grounded in the recognition that businesses have a stake in and responsibility for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

To achieve Agenda 2030, we need to step up financing for gender equality. It must be a priority for all by 2030. WEPs are a primary vehicle for corporate delivery on gender equality dimensions of the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We look to the private sector to generate innovation, employment, and financing that can bridge the gender gap in the world of work and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. This will help our women, families, and communities and it is excellent for the bottom line of businesses. Companies that invest in women’s leadership and decision-making and commit to gender equality typically outperform their competitors. The Women’s Empowerment Principles offer a great platform for change.

By joining the WEPs community, the Africell CEO has signalled a commitment to this agenda at the highest level of the company to work collaboratively in multistakeholder networks to foster business practices that empower women. These include equal pay for work of equal value, gender-responsive supply chain practices, and zero tolerance for sexual harassment in the workplace.

Governments and the private sector need to work together to recognize and advance women’s rights in the workplace, marketplace, and community. Using the WEPs framework, we can leverage the achievements of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, 2022, by joining forces with the private sector to bring about change for gender equality and women in the world of work in Sierra Leone.

We will continue to do our part as the United Nations. In addition to leading by example, we will deploy our expertise to support the Private Sector to accelerate gender equality and women’s economic empowerment through strengthening organizational policies, (HR policy, gender policy) – encouraging more women and girls to participate in economic activities. We also support businesses to strengthen their commitment to gender equality and women’s labour rights.

Through our partnership with the Private Sector, we hope to join forces with committed companies, industry associations, and chambers of commerce to work together to make a difference.

As we encourage other Private Sector companies in Sierra Leone to follow Africell’s lead, we are optimistic that we will continue to see progress on gender-inclusive policies and initiatives in the sector.

I thank you all!