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Sierra Leone's women

refuse to be left whistling

for 30% quota – video

As a child, Bernadette Lahai of the Sierra Leone People's Party was told not to whistle; like politics, decision-making, and so many other aspects of the national culture, whistling was felt to be the sole preserve of men. For a decade, Lahai and many other women have been fighting a campaign to increase female representation in parliament. Though disappointed not to achieve their target of a 30% quota ahead of November's elections, they have made significant headway in the battle for gender equality – and with their goal in sight, they won't rest until the struggle is won. This is their story

• This video was made by By Anna Cady and Em Cooper for Pathways of Women's Empowerment and Screen South

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30%: Women's Participation in Politics in Sierra Leone

30% Trailer from Pathways on Vimeo.

Directed by Anna Cady and Emily Cooper (with animation by Emily Cooper), this film looks at the Sierra Leonean women's movement's campaign for increased participation for women in Sierra Leone politics and their aim to achieve legislation for a minimum 30% quota. The film looks at this issue through the stories of Dr Bernadette Lahai of the Sierra Leone People's Party, Barbara Bangura, National Coordinator Women's Solidarity Support Group, and Salamatu Kamara who hopes to run for member of parliament.

Background

Sierra Leone experienced a brutal civil war between 1991-2002. As a result of the brutalities suffered by women during the civil strife and their active involvement in the peace process, the government adopted gender equality as a cross-cutting issue to be mainstreamed into all policies, projects and programmes as part of its post-conflict peacebuilding agenda.

Yet, the issue of gender parity in politics has been more widely publicised by 50/50, a non-partisan advocacy group. 50/50’s rallying slogan of gender equality in politics and public affairs and the organisation’s efforts to increase women’s participation in governance, rattled the status-quo and galvanised women into action to advocate for a minimum 30 per cent in all elective and appointive posts. Women have organised both at societal and state levels not only to make the quota issue part and parcel of post-war Sierra Leone’s political discourse, but to ensure that it becomes a reality.

Two years ago, Sierra Leone's government invited the women's movement to draw up a bill to usher in the quota system which they have been demanding for the past 10 years. The women set about working tirelessly to draft and push through a bill stipulating that women should have a 30% representation in government and public decision-making spaces. It was to be a private members' bill that came from those demanding the change.

However, despite the women's demands that the bill be pushed through as a government bill by executive order through a certificate of urgency, and eight other bills being enacted just before the close of parliament in September 2012 for elections held in November 2012, gender equality was not included in the pack.

Although the quota bill has yet to be passed, a positive outcome has been how, against the odds, women have organised themselves so quickly and effectively – a sign that things are changing. Prior to the war, not one female independent candidate had won an electoral seat. Yet the increase in female independent candidates from single digits in the pre-war years to double figures and then, finally, the success of three candidates in the 2004 and 2008 local elections is a remarkable achievement that should be celebrated. Regardless of whether the quota bill is eventually passed, it will go down in history that Sierra Leonean women have forced the government to acknowledge their role and status as a political force that can no longer be overlooked.

>via: http://www.pathways-of-empowerment.org/30_percent.html