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100 Women Win seats in Parliament and Local Councils, Among Other Peacebuilding Achievements in Sierra Leone

April 2025

Two decades ago, Sierra Leone was engulfed in one of the most brutal civil wars in modern African history. Between 1991 and 2002, the country endured atrocities that left deep scars—children were conscripted as soldiers, entire communities were wiped out, and a generation was left to rebuild their lives.1 The war claimed more than 50,000 lives and displaced millions, leaving behind a fractured society and deep-seated trauma.2

Today, a new generation of peace champions – both women and men – are leading efforts to rebuild trust and foster social cohesion. With $2 million in funding from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) from March 2023 to March 2025, the project “Localization and Working Together for Peace: Repositioning women focused CSOs for sustainable peace in Sierra Leone” is strengthening women-led CSOs to sustain peace and address community tensions, while protecting women’s rights. Working together with the Government and led by UN Women, UNDP, and World Vision International, the initiative has empowered grassroots organizations and peacebuilders across 116 communities in six districts - Bombali, Kono, Karene, Western Area Rural, Western Area Urban and Pujehun – enabling a set of cascading efforts for peace which are being strongly felt in those communities.

Breaking Barriers: A Young Mother’s Path to Political Leadership

At 36, Councilor Aminata S. Bangura defies the odds. A mother of four – soon to be five – and a first-year Development Studies student at the University of Makeni, she is also an elected political leader in the Bombali District Council. A firm believer in the Krio saying, "Gal pikin lapa no fo lef fo road" (A woman will not break despite challenges), Aminata embodies resilience.

In Sierra Leone’s patriarchal political landscape, where leadership has long been dominated by men, Aminata’s journey stands as a symbol of change. “I was not confident enough at first,” she admits. “My level of education limited me, and I struggled with public speaking. I knew I had the passion to lead, but I lacked the skills to fully assert myself.”

The PBF Localization Project was a turning point for her. Designed to amplify women’s voices in politics as well as in their communities, World Vision through local women’s organizatons (50/50 Group Sierra Leone and Women's Forum for Human and Democracy -WOFHRAD) trained 354 women politicians, including 96 parliamentary aspirants and 258 district councilors, in public speaking, leadership, effective communication, accountability to communities of service, networking and resource mobilization for local governance. This training empowered them to speak confidently in public and navigate political spaces with courage.

Equipped with these new skills, Aminata launched an ambitious campaign, boldly stepping into male-dominated political spaces, including Ataya Bases, where men gather to debate politics. Her presence and message were initially met with skepticism, but her resilience won over many.

“I learned to stand firm in what I believe in, to rise above intimidation, and to claim my rightful place in leadership,” she says with pride.

At the end of the 2023 election period, Aminata was one of the 157 (68 of whom were directly impacted by the PBF project) elected female councilors out of a total of 467 country wide. She currently represents her community at the Bombali district council, where she is now the chairperson of the district development committee, working closely with the Mayor to shape development initiatives.

Beyond politics, her transformation empowered her in family decision-making and motivated her to return to higher education. “This project showed me that I can grow, that I can dream bigger,” she says.

Aminata’s journey is just one of many. Over two years, the PBF Project has helped more than 100 women win seats in parliament and local councils and led peacebuilding initiatives, equipping them to challenge the deeply rooted gender barriers in politics and leadership. Through training, mentorship, and advocacy, these women are changing the narrative, proving that leadership knows no gender.

Fostering Unity: Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawally’s Story

Amid rising political tensions in the 2023 elections, Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawally, a Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Gender and Child Protection Committee, found herself in conflict with political rivals – even her own sister, who belonged to another party.

The PBF Localization Project through World Vision implemented by WOFHRAD also provided critical training that helped Catherine shift from division to dialogue.

She says, “The training helped me contribute to healing divisions and fostering peace in my community before, during, and after the announcement of the 2023 elections.”

Through this initiative, Catherine not only mended political rifts but also helped create an environment conducive to dialogue and development. Equipped with new skills, she became a stronger advocate, pushing for landmark legislation.

"I used some of the skills I learned from the training to advocate for the passing of the Prohibition of Early Marriage Act (2024) and implementation of the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Act of 2022 (GEWE Act)," she says.

From Political Unrest to Grassroots Peacebuilding

Following the 2023 elections, tensions in Bombali District were at an all-time high, with opposition voters believing the results were manipulated. Amid this, Mabinty Susan Conteh, 29, a frustrated voter, found herself drawn to the efforts of the Peace Ambassadors.

"I was very angry when the results were announced, as I believed it did not reflect the way we voted, as we knew we were going to get a regime change bringing our party back to power," she said.

At the height of the crisis, the PBF Localization Project launched the Peace Ambassador model through WOFHRAD, training 60 young people, 40 men and 20 women, from six districts to promote peace and strengthen social cohesion through community-led meetings. This initiative played a crucial role in easing tensions.

Mabinty credits Evelyn-Peggy Simbo, 34, a peace ambassador in her community in Molelleh, for helping to defuse the anger and frustration. "As the tensions began to mount, it was Evelyn, the peace ambassador, who started mobilizing and engaging us with a peace message, which helped to cool us down," she recounted.

The peace ambassadors from Bombali, Kono, Pujehun, Western area Rural and Western area Urban districts were trained to foster peaceful coexistence, a challenging task given the volatile atmosphere. Mabinty remembers the initial hostility towards Evelyn's efforts.

"I could recall when she tried to gather us youths for the first time, we were very hostile towards her. But seeing her courage and persistence, I admired her resilience and quest for peace and joined her in calming other aggrieved voters like myself."

Through 120 community engagements and widespread radio messaging, peace ambassadors promoted unity over division, challenging political discord and tribalism. The impact of the peace ambassadors has been profound – communities now demand more peace ambassadors ahead of the 2028 elections to sustain this newfound stability. 

A Beacon of Hope: Alfred’s Journey from Exclusion to Leadership

For Alfred Benjamin Sankoh, 35, moving from Kenema to Makeni came with unexpected challenges. Political tensions made him a target for hostility simply because he was from the East. This changed when the PBF-supported initiative through UN Women and World Vision International introduced community-led peace dialogues that gave him a platform to engage with those who had opposed him.

“It gave me a chance to talk to the very people who had attacked me,” Alfred explains. “I was able to share my story, to tell them that I wasn’t partisan, that my own family tree includes Madingo and Temne relatives. In turn, they shared their frustrations. That dialogue changed everything. We realized that fighting each other only deepens our problems, but seeking peace can move us forward.”

A total of 12 community led peace dialogues were held in all the six conflict-prone districts (two per district) supported by the PBF project. The peace ambassadors have voluntarily continued their work even after the end of the planned project activities in their locations, with the support of their local communities who have come to appreciate the role played by the peacebuilding meetings in preventing and managing their conflicts.

Sustaining the Gains: The Women’s Coalition for Peace

Beyond individual and community-level success stories, the PBF Localization project has laid the groundwork for long-term peacebuilding by strengthening 120 local NGOs and CSOs focused on women’s rights and peacebuilding. A key achievement has been the formation of the CSO Coalition for Women, Peace and Security, launched on  20 October 2023, which spans six districts and brings together groups like 50/50 Group Sierra Leone, Women's Forum for Human and Democracy (WOFHRAD), West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Media Matters for Women, Mission for Salone Inter-Religious Council, Women’s Forum Sierra Leone, and Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL) civil society organizations. The first such Coalition of its kind in Sierra Leone focusing on women, peace and security at localized level, it is now championing women’s political inclusion and leadership, strengthened legal protection against gender-based violence (GBV), and enhanced community engagement in peace efforts and for women’s rights.

Further, supported through a series of capacity trainings and technical expertise for its establishment and structure by the PBF project, the Coalition is also working to improve women’s safety and security by supporting awareness of and implementation of legal frameworks to combat gender-based violence. The Coalition has supported advocacy towards Sierra Leone’s legal frameworks on GBV—including the Sexual Offences Act (2012, amended 2019) and the GEWE Act (2022). The Coalition also contributed to the development of the third generation NAP on the implementation of the UN resolution 1325 and related instruments, which is key in expanding women’s roles in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and security.

As the project concludes, the Coalition will sustain these gains through continued engagement and advocacy on peacebuilding and the rights of women and girls.
 

1. FRANCE24 https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/revisited/20211008-two-decades-on-sierra-leone-still-scarred-by-civil-war
   HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH https://www.hrw.org/news/1999/06/24/shocking-war-crimes-sierra-leone

2. Gberie, Lansana (2005). A Dirty War in West Africa: The RUF and the Destruction of Sierra Leone. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-21855-1. OCLC 67774535