(Key Role for Women in National Dialogue on Electoral Systems)
12 June 2025 | Freetown, Sierra Leone
The Tripartite Secretariat met with the leadership of the Women’s Forum Sierra Leone to emphasise the critical role women play in the ongoing national consultations on the country’s electoral system.
Addressing the forum on Wednesday at their Dundas Street office, Tripartite Coordinator Ngolo Katta said:
“You are a crucial player; the Secretariat cannot operate without your constituency, without your energy, and without your foresight. You understand women’s issues better, you parent the girls, you raise the kids. Our work aims to institute electoral measures within governance institutions that speak to the political welfare of women and the social livelihood of girls.”
Coordinator Katta highlighted Recommendation 78 of the Tripartite Report, which calls for extensive consultations across all sectors to determine the preferred electoral system between First-Past-the-Post and Proportional Representation.
He urged the Women’s Forum to take ownership and actively engage in the consultation process that has already begun.
Katta also updated the Forum on recent activities, including strategic meetings with the technical committee of development partners on election management and progress on key recommendations, such as the management review of the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone.
In a parallel engagement, Katta addressed a national civil society conference organised by National Elections Watch (NEW). He stressed the importance of civil society’s input in shaping the country’s electoral future.
The consultations aim to include a broad spectrum of society—from petty traders, professional groups, parliamentarians, civil servants, lecturers, persons with disabilities, to youth groups—to ensure a comprehensive discussion on Sierra Leone’s voting systems.
NEW will collate civil society opinions and present a position paper to the Tripartite Secretariat, to be forwarded to the Chief Minister and the Attorney-General for consideration in constitutional review.
