By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily Scope Reporter
Grand National Assembly, Ankara, Türkiye, October 14, 2025 – The Sierra Leone Ambassador to Türkiye, Her Excellency Francess Virginia Anderson, PhD, recently visited Honorable Çiğdem Erdoğan, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Commission for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, to discuss potential collaborations with Sierra Leone’s Parliamentary Female Caucus.
Honorable Erdoğan, who represents Sakarya province in the Turkish National Grand Assembly, leads a commission dedicated to promoting gender equality and addressing disparities in government policies.
During her visit, Ambassador Anderson expressed gratitude for the warm welcome she received and highlighted the significance of their previous discussions at a dinner, which set the stage for further partnership dialogues.
“The mission of your commission aligns perfectly with Sierra Leone’s goal of achieving a 30% quota for women in governance roles,” Ambassador Anderson noted, revealing that women lawmakers currently occupy 30.4% of elected seats in Sierra Leone’s Parliament, an increase from 15.9% in the previous election.
She proposed a collaboration between the Turkish National Grand Assembly and the Sierra Leone Parliament, particularly in sharing best practices through knowledge exchange programs between the two bodies. Ambassador Anderson emphasized that the Sierra Leone Parliamentary Female Caucus is essential for enhancing women’s representation and fostering a platform for addressing common challenges faced by women in governance.
The ambassador also discussed the recent passage of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Bill, a landmark legislation aimed at promoting gender equality across various sectors, including politics and law.
In response, Honorable Erdoğan expressed her appreciation for the ambassador’s visit and reaffirmed the strong diplomatic ties between Sierra Leone and Türkiye, encompassing medical, economic, and educational partnerships. She emphasized the urgency for cooperation between the two parliaments.
“Sierra Leone has been a steadfast supporter of our Zero Waste Initiative, championed by the First Lady of Türkiye, Her Excellency Emine Erdoğan. This initiative is vital for transforming our approach to consumption and environmental stewardship. I believe our parliaments should strengthen their ties,” she stated.
Honorable Erdoğan concluded by expressing her eagerness to partner with Sierra Leone, indicating that concrete steps toward collaboration would soon be realized.
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