By: Saidu Jalloh, Daily Scope
The Deputy Speaker Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh has called on Sierra Leone to elect a woman to the presidency, arguing that 65 years of male-dominated leadership has produced the same results while sidelining half the population.
Speaking on women’s participation in governance, Conteh said the country can no longer afford to exclude women from the highest office.
“If you keep doing the same thing all the time, you will get the same outcome,” he said. “For about 65 years, we have continued with the same pattern while keeping a significant group of people outside the centre of political leadership. It has reached a time for a woman to become President.”
Conteh said complaints about limited political space for women are a recurring theme from women’s groups, media practitioners, and civil society. He faulted political parties for confining women to minor roles instead of positioning them for national leadership.
“I have heard women and people in the public space say that we have not been fair to women. Political parties often reserve only a few positions for women. I believe the time has come for women to rise to the highest office so that the nation can see what they are capable of achieving,” he said.
Citing the late reggae icon Lucky Dube, Conteh noted that women’s contributions are routinely overlooked. “People praise heroes every day, but they rarely praise the women who carry families and communities. Women are the bedrock of the family and, in many ways, the bedrock of this country.”
He pointed to women’s dominance in agriculture and social development as proof of their role in national progress. “When you look at the agricultural sector, it is dominated by women. When you look at the social space, women are everywhere making sacrifices and driving development. The foundation of this country has been ignored for too long,” Conteh said.
“It is time for those who make up a large part of our population to be given the opportunity to lead at the highest level,” he added.
The Deputy Speaker’s remarks have renewed debate on gender equality, political inclusion, and the prospect of Sierra Leone’s first female head of state.
For more information contact Daily Scope Newspaper at dailyscopemedia@gmail.com
