SEND-Sierra Leone urges gender equality, inclusive representation in lower level elections 2025

POSITION PAPER

Ensuring Inclusive Participation in Political Party Structures: A Call for Gender Equality and Inclusive Representation in Lower-Level Elections 2025.

By SEND-Sierra Leone

Introduction:

Inclusive governance is a fundamental pillar of democracy and sustainable development. Ensuring gender equality and empowering women, youth, and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in political decision-making are critical to achieving an equitable society. However, despite notable advancements in women’s representation in Parliament, Local Councils, and appointed executive positions, women continue to be significantly underrepresented in the executive structures of political parties.

This position paper is a national call to action, urging all political parties in Sierra Leone to ensure inclusivity in the 2025 lower-level elections. The exclusion of women, youth, and PWDs from party structures undermines democratic representation, hinders equitable policymaking, and perpetuates systemic gender disparities. The upcoming lower-level elections provide a unique opportunity to foster inclusive participation in governance and ensure that marginalized groups have a voice in political party decision-making processes.

Context and Justification:

Structural, cultural, and systemic barriers have long hindered women’s participation in political leadership in Sierra Leone. The 2022 Political Party Gender Audit conducted by SEND Sierra Leone highlighted a glaring underrepresentation of women in political party executive structures across all parties. Although the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act, 2022 , mandates 30% female representation in all public and private leadership spaces, and Part IX of the Political Party Act 2022 mandates political inclusion, yet, political parties continue to lag in implementing it.

This exclusion from party executive positions prevents women from meaningfully engaging in governance, influencing policies, and contesting for higher elective offices. Studies indicate that when women participate equally in political processes, there is a stronger focus on social policies that support families, gender equality, and child welfare, leading to broader societal progress.

Political parties are the foundation of democratic governance, shaping national policies and political leadership. However, these parties remain male-dominated, with decision-making concentrated in the hands of a few elites. Lower-level elections are the entry point for political leadership, and ensuring inclusivity in these processes is vital for breaking systemic barriers against women and marginalized groups.

Without proactive measures to include women, youth, and PWDs, political parties will continue to reinforce structural inequalities, preventing these groups from ascending into higher decision-making roles.

Sierra Leone has taken significant legislative steps toward gender equality in governance. Two key laws provide the framework for inclusivity:

• The Political Parties (Amendment) Act 2022 requires political parties to adhere to democratic principles, including ensuring gender balance in party structures. It also encourages parties to promote the fair representation of marginalized groups in leadership.
• The Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act of 2022 requires at least 30% female representation in all appointive and elective positions.
• Enforces penalties for non-compliance, signalling a commitment to gender inclusion.

Despite these legal provisions, political parties have been slow to implement them, resulting in continued underrepresentation of women and marginalised groups in executive structures. Without deliberate efforts, these laws risk becoming ineffective, further perpetuating gender inequality politics.

Barriers to Inclusive Participation in Political Party Structures:

• Political party structures are traditionally male-dominated, with leadership hierarchies favouring men in decision-making. Women often face limited access to party resources, funding, and support, which diminishes their ability to compete for leadership positions.
• Cultural perceptions continue to reinforce gender stereotypes, discouraging women from active political participation. Traditional beliefs associate leadership with masculinity, making it difficult for women to be accepted as legitimate political leaders.
• Political participation, especially in elections and party leadership, often requires significant financial investment. Women and youth, who generally have less economic power than their male counterparts, struggle to finance campaigns and political activities, limiting their ability to ascend into higher leadership roles.
• Women and youth interested in politics frequently face harassment, intimidation, and political violence, discouraging their participation. A 2021 study by UN Women indicated that women in politics in Sierra Leone experience high levels of psychological, verbal, and physical violence, making political engagement a security risk for many women.
• Most political parties lack clear guidelines and mechanisms to enforce gender inclusion in executive structures. Without internal party reforms, achieving meaningful representation remains a challenge.

     Call to Action: Recommendations for Inclusive Lower-Level Elections:

To ensure gender equality, youth participation, and disability inclusion in political party structures, we call on all political party leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to implement the following measures:

• Political parties must guarantee spaces for women candidates in their lower-level elections, ensuring fair representation in executive structures and decision-making bodies.
• Parties must strictly implement the 30% quota mandated by the GEWE Act, 2022, to ensure women hold leadership positions at all levels of party structures.
• Political parties must comply with Party IX of the Political party Act, 2022, to ensure political inclusion and create pathways for youth and PWDs to engage meaningfully in decision-making.
• Establish youth wings, mentorship programs, and leadership training to prepare young people for higher political roles.
• Political parties must commit to free, fair, and peaceful elections within their internal structures.
• Political violence, intimidation, and discrimination must be strictly condemned, ensuring a safe and inclusive political environment for all candidates.
• Parties should adopt gender and inclusion policies that guide their recruitment, promotion, and leadership selection processes.
• Internal party constitutions should clearly define gender equality provisions, with mechanisms for enforcement.
• Political parties should support women and youth candidates with financial and technical resources to enhance their competitiveness in elections.
• Women and youth must be given equal access to campaign financing and training to prepare them for leadership roles.

Conclusion:

The 2025 lower-level elections present a critical opportunity to transform political party structures and ensure the meaningful inclusion of women, youth, and people with disabilities in governance. While Sierra Leone has made significant legislative strides towards gender equality, true political inclusion requires deliberate action from political parties to dismantle systemic barriers and create an enabling environment for diverse leadership representation.

Political parties must embrace inclusivity, recognizing that diverse leadership strengthens democracy and ensures policies that reflect the needs of all citizens. By giving women, youth, and PWDs fair representation, political parties can foster a more just, equitable, and progressive Sierra Leone.

The time for action is now. Political parties must take bold steps to ensure inclusivity and fulfill the promise of democracy and equitable governance in Sierra Leone.