By Mohamed T. Massaquoi
A cross section of members of Women of Wanjama (WoW), a women’s advocacy group in Pujehun have met President Julius Maada Bio at State House to discuss “issues affecting the general growth and development” of the southern district.
A statement read by Suafiatu Tunis on behalf of the organisation’s national Chairperson drew the attention of the president to three major issues affecting women and girls in the Pujehun
She said “the lack of women in leadership, limited educational and economic opportunities and the high prevalence rates of sexual violence including rape against our women and girls.”
The Vice chairperson of WoW, Josephine Sowa described the challenges outlined in their statement as the main societal menace “holding us back from stepping forward for leadership.”
The former Principal of the Holy Rosary Secondary School for girls in Pujehun said WoW played a great role in the electoral success of the Sierra Leone People’s Party and urged the president to use their talent in all aspects of national development. She called on the president to pay urgent attention to the continuous destruction of artisanal fishing nets along the coastal communities of the district by industrial fishing companies.
President Bio noted the female political leadership gap in the district and promised to take steps to address the issue in subsequent appointments to national offices.
The president said he was impressed with the efforts of WoW to unite a vital section of the district because “the problem about Pujehun has always been about people coming together to work as a team as this is the first time I’ve seen you taking a unified approach to issues affecting your district.”
He said that as a matter of priority, his government would fully rehabilitate the Holy Family Primary School in Pujehun which he attended, and accepted the organisation’s invitation to become an honorary member of WoW.
The group appointed a prominent political leader from the district, Jeneba Kpaka Bangura to liaise between them and the government in programme activities targeted at improving the lot of women and girls in the district.
Women of Wanjama was formed in 2013 through the pioneering efforts of gender rights activist Naasu Fofanah advocating for the improvement in the socio-economic and political circumstances of women and girls in Pujehun.
The district has experienced years of poverty and underdevelopment and a recent UNICEF report ranked it as the worst for child poverty in Sierra Leone.
(c) 2018 Politico Online
