Resident Coordinator Seraphine Wakana's statement at celebrations marking IWD.

Ladies and Gentlemen. 

It is my pleasure to join you at the Miatta Conference Centre for the International Women's Day under the theme, "For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment."   

This year’s theme calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power, and opportunities for all and a future where no one is left behind- A future where more women and girls are leading alongside men and boys.

This theme builds on 30 years of progress and commitments made to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment at the 1995 Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women. These and other gains are historic achievements that have transformed women’s lives.

When women and girls thrive, so do their families, communities and our world. By unleashing the potential of half of humanity, gender equality leads to safer and more prosperous societies for everyone. This is affirmed in the international frameworks that countries have signed. Yet, millions of women and girls are still left behind. Globally:

• every three seconds an adolescent girl is married.
• Similarly, every seven seconds, a pregnant woman is dying from preventable or treatable causes if proper care was available. 
• Every 10 minutes a woman or a girl dies at the hands of an intimate partner. 

These global realities raise the profile on the challenges that women and girls continue to face. 

Hon Vice President,  allow me to commend the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone through you for supporting nationwide efforts to advance women’s leadership and prevent violence against women and girls, as demonstrated by the various progressive laws that Sierra Leone has passed, including but not limited to the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Act, the Prevention of Sexual Offences Act, and the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act. 

Over the past years, Sierra Leone has made commendable progress in addressing issues affecting women and girls. We have seen a significant reduction in adolescent birth rate and an increase in the representation of women in Parliament, now standing at almost 30 percent of the elected seats, mainly due to the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Act, which sets a 30 percent quota for women in Parliament, the cabinet, and other institutions. These achievements are a testament to the Government’s commitment to gender equality, the resilience and determination of Sierra Leonean women and the firm support from various stakeholders, including the United Nations. This progress gives us hope and optimism for the future of gender equality in Sierra Leone.

Significant progress has been made in education, yet challenges persist. The literacy rate for women aged 15 and above, is 34.9 percent, compared to 43.2 percent for men. Furthermore, the rate of out-of-school children remains high, with 17.5 percent of girls and 15.2 percent of boys not attending primary and lower secondary education. 

I would like to also highlight the milestones on the health sector, Sierra Leone has made progress in reducing maternal mortality rate from 1,682 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 443 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. Yes, this is great progress, however, more needs to be done to ensure that no woman dies while giving life in Sierra Leone.

Further, child marriage has reduced from 48 percent in 2008 to 30 percent in 2019. Because of deliberate and increased interventions around ending child marriage – including the campaign of the First Lady, we anticipate that this number will continue to go down. 

However, despite these strides, challenges remain. Gender-based violence, discrimination, and according to the last Demographic and Health Survey of 2019, 61 percent of women in Sierra Leone have experienced sexual or physical violence in their lifetime. We need to do more.

Economic participation is another critical area where progress is needed. Women's labour force participation rate is 51.5 percent, compared to 56.3 percent for men. Women often face significant barriers to economic opportunities, including limited access to financial resources, land, and markets. Additionally, the gender pay gap remains a persistent issue, with women earning less than men for similar work.

With our new Cooperation Framework, which complements the national priorities in the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024-2030), the United Nations in Sierra Leone is committed to addressing these challenges through various initiatives.  Such initiatives include the ChangeMakers program launched by UN Women, which focuses on gender equality and youth empowerment; and the Women’s Land for Peace project supported by the Peacebuilding Fund which aims to empower women to lead and catalyze pathways for peace and ensure gender transformative Land Natural Resource Management. 

We launched this project on Women’s Land for Peace yesterday with civil society organisations who are ready to reach the last mile, empowering and enabling women to lead. These are just a few of the various economic empowerment initiatives by UN Agencies and their partners.  

Our efforts are further strengthened through partnerships with local organizations. We collaborate with the Campaign for Good Governance, the Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law for example. These partnerships are crucial in implementing community-based programs that promote women's rights, provide legal support, and enhance environmental sustainability.

Ladies and gentlemen, as the UN turns 80 this year, our commitment to gender equality and women empowerment remains firm, even stronger than before. With that commitment, I call on all of us to stand up for women's rights and an equal world for all women and girls. We must not remain silent in the face of violations of women's and girls' rights. 

Preventing and addressing violence against women and girls, as well as increasing participation and representation by women in various leadership spaces, is a collective effort. Therefore, we must continue to send a clear message about the importance of gender equality, our collective commitment to human rights, and our core values and obligations.

Furthermore, on this day, it is important to note that in order to accelerate progress on SDG 5, all hands need to be on deck, including the Government, Civil society, private and public sectors, development partners, and the community.  For the UN Country Team, we remain committed to championing and advancing our work on achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls through our various interventions at all levels. 

This International Women’s Day is a call to march forward, with urgency and in solidarity, for all women and girls in all their diversity. Despite the many challenges, we have seen in our own lifetimes how much change is possible, and we have international law and fundamental human rights on our side. We have examples of change, and evidence of the benefits. These are powerful tools to achieve equality. Let’s use them.

So, as we celebrate this day, let us reaffirm our commitment to creating a society where every woman and girl can enjoy their rights, live free from violence and discrimination, and have equal opportunities to thrive. 

I will close with a word from the UN Secretary-General, who emphasized that…  "gender equality is the way forward—not just for women, not just for girls, but for the future of humanity."

I wish all the women of Sierra Leone a Happy International Women's Day!

Thank you!