Concord Times (Freetown)
Mariama Kandeh
14 May 2008
opinion
It is clear that women continue to be the worst hit by national crises including the current hardship that is rocking Sierra Leone.
Efforts by various organizations to get women into politics, which will probably lead to an amicable solution of the problems affecting women, have proved futile.
Last year's presidential and parliamentary elections marked an important milestone in the history of Sierra Leone but according to the National Electoral Commission, out of a total number of 1321 nominees for the local council elections, women constitute just only 17 percent of that number; of the 65 nominees for mayorships and council chairpersons, only 5 percent is women. These numbers are very small and will prevent women from gaining the opportunity to let their voices be heard in decision making fora.
Former deputy speaker of parliament Elizabeth Lavallie blamed the low turnout of women in the forthcoming local council elections on the lack of willingness of political parties to get women into positions of authorities.
"They were not encouraged on time. The parties left everything to the people to choose most of the candidates who turn out to be men as symbols were taken away from the women at the eleventh hour.
Culture and tradition are another problem," she said adding that women don't have the finance to champion the political course.
Politics indeed in Sierra Leone is all about money without enough of which women will never be successful in their stride to change the male stereotype that is widespread in the country. As Lavallie said, political parties, including the governing All Peoples Congress, are not committed to empowering women. These parties are yet to come out of their archaic belief that politics is men's show.
Acting Coordinator of the Fifty Fifty Group Aisha Josiah-Kamara agreed with Lavallie adding that in an effort to get more women into the current cabinet, her group has presented a position paper to President Ernest Bai Koroma on assumption of office in September, for him to commit himself into moving women's issues forward. But upon that, it was realized that only three women were given ministerial positions and another three deputy ministerial positions.
This is really pathetic considering the current increase in gender-based violence which authorities concerned seem to be doing little or nothing to address. Today, we hear of rape cases and other forms of domestic violence from all quarters of the country.
Is it that women should become preys to men when they are stressed and badly hit by the current hardship in the country? No. Women are even suffering more than the men but have not chosen to vent their grievance on innocent souls. These men want to continue to see women suffer and thus doing everything in their favour to prevent women from holding positions of authority.
Again women, especially those in the rural areas, have been made to believe that they should not go near politics. Women don't have a say as decisions are being made for their lives which is wrong. If the country has signed the Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, I see no reason why the government should continue to allow women to suffer.
Despite the series of sensitization programmes, the idea of women occupying the back seats has not been waved off and it is becoming more widespread in traditional settings where they are seen as service tools rather than as instruments to impact change.
Josiah-Kamara also believed that the stereotype belief that when women go into politics, they will become prostitutes is another deterrent to women becoming decision-makers.
"Men believed that power belongs to them and they won't let go," she said as she stressed the need to sensitize women the more.
However, women in the country continue to suffer significant setbacks which are preventing them from taking active part in the political process of the country. In the last election, 11 percent of the 566 candidates that contested the parliamentary election were women. Women's representation in the legislature decreased from 18 to 16. The Fifty-Fifty Group, a leading advocate for women's empowerment and involvement in politics, described the decrease as encouraging for the women because of the change in the electoral system (changing from proportional representation in 2002 to constituency system in 2007). Little did they realize that the situation would be worse when the time comes for the local council elections slated for July 5 this year.
Lavallie believes that politics is still male-dominated in Sierra Leone. She said women lack the political will and encouragement from their male counterparts. But as she called for a strategy that will compel political parties to work on their commitment, Josiah-Kamara thought the attitude of some women towards their fellow women needs to change. She said her group has set the parliamentary caucus comprising of female members of parliament -and some male as affiliate members- which shadow other women who want to be successful in politics.
Critiques blamed the low turn out of women in the 2007 elections on the low level of sensitization such as the Fifty-Fifty Group's organizing a sensitization show for women to get involved in the political process about a week to the elections after the electoral process has already ended and nominations have been made. But it is clear that the same is occurring again. The sensitization should be rigorous and robust.
According to the last housing and population census conducted by Statistic Sierra Leone, women represent 52 percent of the population. Women also represent 49 percent of registered voters in Sierra Leone and 13 percent of a total number of 473 local councilors.
It is clear that a debilitating impact of the low number of women in politics is that the plight of their fellow women will not change for the better.
Not only do women have the intrinsic right to be involved in elections both as electorates and as candidates but it has proven that when women are involved, politics and policies become more representative of the needs and concerns of every citizen and sometimes even foreigners.
Although the forthcoming election will provide an excellent opportunity to increase the number of women in politics, women who plan to be candidates in the local elections will face significant obstacles including financial, male chauvinism, culture and little experience with campaigning.
Women continue to suffer; they make the bulk of the money for the homes but have little access to it. The current social status vis a vis the rise in the cost of living has even added salt to the injury of women.
Most women in Sierra Leone cater for their family and are not allowed to go into politics by their husbands.
Meanwhile until women's empowerment is prioritized by political parties, Sierra Leone politics will still carry the dirty game title and the situation of women will only become abysmal more than its current standing.
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