By Ishmael Bayoh
Information Attaché, Sierra Leone Embassy, Dakar, Senegal
During a keynote address at the OFS-UN Women side event of the Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 in Dakar, Hon. Manty Tarawalli, Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President, emphasized the critical role of women and youth in agricultural value chains. The event was co-moderated by UN Women and the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS).
Minister Tarawalli, drawing from her extensive experience as the National Food Systems Convenor and former Minister of Gender, outlined four strategic pathways to empower these key demographics in agriculture. She highlighted the paradox that, while women constitute nearly half of Africa’s agricultural workforce, they often lack access to land, credit, and extension services. “Providing equal access to resources could boost agricultural output by up to 30%, alleviating hunger for 150 million people,” she stated. With Africa’s youth population expected to nearly double by 2050, she underscored the necessity of investing in their potential, asserting that their innovation and energy are vital for transforming the continent’s food systems.
Minister Tarawalli also referenced the landmark Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act passed in Sierra Leone in 2022, which mandates 30% representation for women in leadership roles and enhances access to finance. “The implementation of this Act has resulted in a significant rise in female lawmakers, with representation more than doubling in Parliament. Today, Sierra Leone boasts the highest number of young and female ministers in its Cabinet,” she noted.
Focusing on the Feed Salone flagship initiative, Minister Tarawalli shared its success in transitioning agriculture from subsistence to agribusiness. The initiative achieved a remarkable 35% increase in rice production in its first year, moving Sierra Leone toward 72% self-sufficiency.
In a bid to cultivate future leaders in agriculture, the Sierra Leone Youth Institute, in collaboration with the World Food Prize Foundation, has launched the Borlaug Scholars program, empowering high school students to propose innovative solutions to global food security challenges.
Addressing the need for financial support, she advocated for specialized funding facilities for women and youth agripreneurs, highlighting the Agriculture Credit Facility, which offers loans at a competitive 10% interest rate, significantly lower than the prevailing market rates of 30-35%.
As the pilot country in the IOFS–UN Women partnership and Co-Chair of the global Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation, Minister Tarawalli reaffirmed the Sierra Leonean government’s commitment to advancing gender equality, empowering youth, and transforming food systems.
For more information, contact Daily Scope Newspaper at dailyscopemedia@gmail.com.
