From the Margins to the Stage!
Young Women Reimagine Political Leadership in Sierra Leone
On November 4th–5th, 2025, over 100 young women from across Sierra Leone and Africa gathered for the National Young Women’s Conference under the theme “From the Margins to the Stage: Reimagining Young Women’s Political Leadership in Sierra Leone” at Vanilla Complex in Aberdeen, Freetown.
Organized by Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) and Young Women in Democracy Forum (YWDF), with support from African Women’s Development Fund(AWDF), the conference created a vibrant and transformative space for young women to learn, connect, and lead.
From the very first session, the energy was electric. Marcella Samba-Sesay, Executive Director of CGG, inspired participants to move “from the margins to the stage” by discovering their voice, building confidence, and taking up leadership boldly. She encouraged young women to tell their own stories because if they don’t, someone else will tell their story but in a negative way. The Chairperson of the conference Sahr Kendema, echoed this with a rallying call: “Young women are no longer waiting to be invited to the table they are building their own.”
Powerful statements came from the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs-SL, Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC), All-Political Parties Women’s Association (APPWA), Young Women in Governance Network, UN Women Sierra Leone, and many others all reaffirming their shared commitment to women’s inclusion in governance and political leadership.
Panel discussions and dialogues delved into the real issues affecting young women through topics such as:
Navigating the streams of political leadership,
Mental wellbeing and resilience in politics,
Bridging intergenerational gaps among women leaders, the power of technology, media, and Building Male allyship for increased young women political leadership.
Panelists such as Naasu Fofanah, Valnora Edwin (AWLN), Grace Kortu-Kargbo (SEND-SL), Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawally, Hon. Mariama Bangura, Khadija Bangura (Liberty TV), and Lamrana Bah (Truth Media), and other international participants, shared insights that reminded everyone that leadership begins with courage and grows through mentorship, consistency, sisterhood, visibility, and solidarity.
The conference concluded with the adoption of a collective communiqué, charting concrete actions to strengthen young women’s participation and leadership in political spaces and governance structures across Sierra Leone.
As the curtains closed, one message rang clear across the room:
The margins no longer define young women as they are now on the stage, leading with purpose, power, and pride.