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SEND Sierra Leone – Eastern Women’s Conference:
29 April 2021
Building Women’s Collective Resilience towards
Self-reliance and Empowerment Keynote Speech
Honourable guests, Members of the High Table, allow me to stand on existing protocols. It has been a privilege for me to participate in this Eastern Women’s Conference and it is an honour to be asked to deliver the keynote address on the theme of ‘Building Women’s Collective Resilience towards Self-Reliance and Empowerment’. It has been a humbling - but inspiring - experience to hear so many of the personal stories shared by so many strong women here today. And there is one thing that we can all agree: strong is beautiful. There has been a lot to think about and a lot to take forward but, before considering some of the questions raised today, allow me to talk a little about the government of Ireland, Irish Aid and our partnership with the government and people of Sierra Leone.
Ireland is a small country of less than 5 million people that has experienced conflict, the struggle for independence and a famine in which more than 1 million people died of hunger. We were fortunate to experience profound economic transformation driven largely by investment in education, but the memory of our history has left us with a strong sense of commitment to play our role as global citizens in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and putting the furthest behind first.
Gender equality is both an objective and a driver of sustainable development and is key to achieving all of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The Government of Ireland’s policy for international development, called ‘A Better World’, recognises the importance of the empowerment of women, economically, politically and socially in order to build peaceful, resilient and stable societies. Gender equality is fundamental for transformation and reaching the furthest behind first. Women and girls remain the hardest hit by the effects of extreme poverty, climate change and conflict. They are blocked from economic opportunity and disempowered by the burden of unpaid care and domestic responsibilities. They enjoy fewer legal rights and are politically under-represented.
Political participation of women is hindered by factors such as violence, poverty, lack of access to quality education and health care and the double burden of paid and unpaid work. Women have poor maternal and reproductive health, they have unequal education levels and are all too often excluded from digital and technological innovation. The proven economic return of investing in women and girls makes a strong case for prioritising gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all aspects of life. No country can ever realise its potential when its women are prevented from realising theirs. Here in Sierra Leone, women continue to face barriers to equal participation in society and representation in politics and governance. SGBV remains prevalent – we hear that almost 70% of women have experienced gender-based violence. We do not have reliable figures for the % of men who have perpetrated such violence but it must be a lot.
Women’s economic empowerment - which is a prerequisite for fairer and more inclusive growth - is limited and women continue to bear more of the caring responsibilities, which makes it difficult for them to achieve a fair work–life balance, often preventing or reducing their involvement in the formal labour market or in political life. Despite these challenges, Sierra Leone has made good progress and has undertaken a number of legislative reforms that have enabled positive changes for women and girls, for example, the three gender laws, the Child Rights Act and most recently, 2019 Sexual Offences Amendment Act. In addition, the Government’s flagship Free Quality Education programme and focus on Human Capital Development demonstrate a strong commitment to the provision of equitable access to quality education for all. Education has been placed at the heart of national development planning and the policy of Radical Inclusion commits to ensure that non-one is left behind. Investment in human capital development can help dismantle the systemic barriers that hold women back from equal participation in all areas of life.
The Government’s commitment to gender equality was also seen in the declaration of a State of National Emergency on rape and sexual violence; the First Lady’s ‘Hands of Our Girls’ campaign and, importantly, the launch of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment policy (GEWE). The GEWE is a lawful reference point for addressing gender inequalities by all stakeholders at national and community levels throughout the country. It calls for equal access for women, men, boys and girls to opportunities across all areas of the economy. In addition, it emphasises the need for gender mainstreaming in national development plans, sectoral policies and strategies. Because, the lack of women in leadership roles in politics is an ongoing challenge, a gender quota will increase women’s visibility and profile in politics. However, its implementation will be critical to creating space for women’s participation at all levels of governance as citizens, change-makers and leaders.
Thus, the implementation of this policy and the resulting impact for all women requires continued collaboration between development partners and government ministries alongside communication, consultation and strategic implementation. The reality is that we are all interconnected, and interdependent. And this brings me back to an important question raised this morning. A question was posed about why we women should wait for others to act on our behalf to empower us. It is within each and every one of us to stand up and fight. And while I agree, I would like to add some observations. Women should rely on nobody but themselves. It is essential that we stand up and take our rightful places and demand that our voices be heard. But we must also acknowledge that in far too many instances when we do so, we are opposed, diminished and disempowered. Specifically where women seek greater representation in politics and decision-making, there can be swift and brutal resistance. It should not be a surprise that women can be fearful of realising their full rights to engage with inclusive and accountable democratic processes.
This morning we heard a comprehensive and informative presentation on the Cost of Women’s Participation in Politics. We heard of many responses that specifically target women and seek to deter and exclude them from political participation. Social exclusion, violence and slander. These happen. They are allowed to happen. We know from our own work at Irish Aid and from our partners, that successful outcomes for women’s empowerment can sometimes come at a cost. For example, we have seen that there can be an increase in domestic violence in some households where women have sought to assert their rights. Recently, on International Women’s Day, I attended an event on women’s leadership, specifically the participation of women with disabilities in leadership and decision-making. One of the speakers - a former minister of government – asked the question of women who were preparing and fighting for leadership and political participation: ‘How much pain are you willing to take?’
I thought it was a brutal – but very necessary – question because we cannot ignore what we ask of women when we encourage them to put themselves forward to seek election. This morning, the honourable representative for Constituency 001, speaking about her election campaign, said ‘I sacrificed my whole body’. These are strong words. One of the key words today has been resilience because to survive as a woman throughout the political cycle demands resilience. It is harder for women than men, which means that women who have come through successfully, like the honourable members of parliament here today, are survivors. You will not put them down. They have had to work harder than their male counterparts; they are stronger and more driven. And this makes them better, so of course they are perceived as a threat, which precipitates the type of responses the SEND research identified.
So yes, women should rely on nobody but ourselves. But it is harder for women. It is always harder for women and this is an injustice that we all have a responsibility to fight. What can we do? One of the most powerful ways is through visibility. The honourable Members of Parliament here today are an example that show that, yes, it is hard, but it can be done. They are leading by example so younger women can, as we say, ‘See it, be it’. They are also putting in place support networks and using their experience to help more women navigate the difficult path to political participation. The impact of women’s networks and peer support cannot be underestimated.
Civil society organisations like SEND also play a critical role. Directly through their work to empower and capacitate women for political life. But also, as we saw, through enabling interventions such as the VSLAs which empower women financially and reduce their economic dependence on men. When I first came to Sierra Leone I learned a little Krio. One of the phrases that I learnt was ‘Bad man bete pas emti os’. But we must not allow it to be so and the work of SEND is changing this. A strong woman does not live in an empty house. Speaking as the Ambassador of Ireland, I should also ask how members of the international and donor community can play a more constructive role. We could certainly do more. For example, why do we, who have access and influence, continue to meet in rooms where no women are present? It is not good enough. We fail to effectively use our influence to leverage what could be significant and meaningful change.
We tend to denounce political violence when it affects men but do we equally recognise violence against women and women leaders? Because the former is so prevalent, do we risk missing the latter? This is even more important as we move closer to the elections in 2023. We need to recognise gender based violence as a specific form of political violence. And, as the honourable member for Kono observed, we need to start now to support and capacitate women to prepare for political participation in those elections. These are messages that I will share with my colleagues in the international community. The Government of Ireland remains firmly committed to the promotion of women’s empowerment and gender equality and the upholding of universal human rights. We will continue to work together with the Government of Sierra Leone for socio-economic and political development that embraces women and girls, that leaves no one behind and gives everyone a fair chance of leading a decent life.
We will continue to work with partners - such as SEND – to support the incredible work that they do. Today we have seen the impact of that work in action. Let me tell you that I attend many – many, many – events of this type. But today I am struck by the energy in this room. It is electric and it has not dissipated. There is a momentum here that will not be stopped. Women are fighting to take their place at the highest tables in the land. Today we say, ‘not about us without us’. Women must be visible and they must be heard; and speak with their own voices. Mek we see en yeri from oman dem. I thank you.