“Women’s Leadership: The Key to Power” – Marcella Samba Sesay
At the Consultative Meeting on the Impact and Challenges of the GEWE Act 2022, Marcella Samba Sesay, Executive Director of Campaign for Good Governance, delivered a bold and unapologetic message on women’s leadership and gender roles.
“When we talk about women’s political leadership, it means having women at the corridors of power. But this inevitably comes with its own challenges. We have to balance between what society has prescribed for us as gender roles. Until we build a culture to change it, which is not now, we must find strategies to fix and address it.”
She challenged societal norms, urging women to rethink how they raise their children. “If you’re part of the women who still give your girl child all the house chores, think of giving your son those same chores, let him cook, let him launder. You will not fix the next generation if you don’t start now. Teaching your son to cook is not a gender role, it’s a lifelong skill.”
Madam Samba Sesay highlighted that 52% of Sierra Leone’s population are women, and they cannot be shut out of leadership. “You cannot keep over 52% at bay, outside, shut out of decision-making. If you do, you are actively destroying the developmental drive of that society.”
She called the GEWE Act 2022 “the key to power,” emphasizing its impact. “If we are able to boast of many female faces in the corridors of leadership, it is because of the accommodative action. That is a major impact.”
With this law in place, she urged women to seize the moment, push for more, and ensure real change.