To build support, a caucus of 19 female parliamentarians had to crisscross Sierra Leone to shape the bill and its political messaging. "Quotas work best when they are part of a broader push for inclusion, which is what Sierra Leone did," she said. "We have to hold those political parties accountable to enforce gender quotas, and there need to be penalties," she said. Sesay's stance--and that of some civil society groups, signals an appetite to overhaul a law still hailed as a major feat for women in Sierra Leone and across the continent. In either case, the number of women in power in Sierra Leone has risen--and, with it, the cost of retreat.

Source: Daily Observer April 06, 2026 16:21 UTC