By Mohamed T. Massaquoi
The Minister of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), Dr. Francis Mustapha Kaikai, has reaffirmed the Sierra Leone government’s commitment to the empowerment of women and girls.
“Our Government will continue to march in solidarity with all women and girls as we strive to ensure that no segment of our population is left behind,” Dr. Kai-Kai said.
Kaikai was speaking at the just concluded three-day International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Kenya, where he highlighted the “great challenges” the continent is grappling with regarding population issues. These problems include maternal mortality, family planning, and sexual and gender based violence against women.
Kaikai said President Julius Maada Bio had already taken a bold step to tackle some of these problems.
In January this year, President Bio declared rape as an emergency in the country. That declaration provoked intense interest and rapid moves were made towards the drafting and subsequent enactment of a tougher Sexual Offences Act.
Kaikai also highlighted the role of the First Lady, Fatima Bio in dealing with age old traditional norms like early marriage and complex societal problems like teenage pregnancy and rape.
Mrs Bio’s “Hands Off our Girls” campaign was recently launched in Kaikai’s home district of Pujehun.
The Planning Minister said at the Kenya event that his government was working towards dedicating 1% of the national health budget for family planning by 2022. This, he noted, would contribute to reducing the unmet needs for family planning from 24.8% in 2019 by 20% in 2025.
Kaikai added that his government would train and employ 1000 midwives, 180 nurse anesthetists and 72 surgical assistants by 2025. All this is targeted at reducing maternal mortality rate by 50% by 2028, he said.
Sierra Leone has one of the worst maternal mortality ratios in the world, with 1,165 deaths per every 100, 000 live births.
Kaikai said the government was also working on a draft law that prohibits child marriage in the country; which is a common practice in most rural areas.
This law might be in place by the end of next year.
“The Government of Sierra Leone endorses the Nairobi Commitments: Accelerating the Promise of ICPD. These commitments, we believe, will contribute to the transformation of the lives of the people of Sierra Leone and fulfil the promises of Cairo,” said Kai-Kai.
He said the government hoped to implement these commitments as part of its national development blueprint which is the Medium Term National Development Plan.
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