• Latest
Sierra Leone Passes Law Reserving 30% of Jobs for Women

Sierra Leone Passes Law Reserving 30% of Jobs for Women

3 years ago
Uganda Cranes in Botswana Ahead of World Cup Qualifier

Uganda Cranes in Botswana Ahead of World Cup Qualifier

1 hour ago
Spotify’s ‘Culture in Motion’ Project to Document Global Rise of Afrobeats

Spotify’s ‘Culture in Motion’ Project to Document Global Rise of Afrobeats

1 hour ago
AfDB and Bloomberg Partner to Unlock Private Investment for Africa’s Growth

AfDB and Bloomberg Partner to Unlock Private Investment for Africa’s Growth

2 hours ago
Uganda to Mark National Day at Expo 2025 Osaka with Business, Culture and Diplomacy

Uganda to Mark National Day at Expo 2025 Osaka with Business, Culture and Diplomacy

2 hours ago
Hoima City Stadium Unveils its Crown Jewels: Sports Arena, Pool and VVIP Lounge

Hoima City Stadium Unveils its Crown Jewels: Sports Arena, Pool and VVIP Lounge

1 day ago
Muntu Rallies Ankole, Urges Opposition Unity to Retire Museveni

Muntu Rallies Ankole, Urges Opposition Unity to Retire Museveni

1 day ago
SoftPower News
Monday, October 6, 2025
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women
No Result
View All Result
SoftPower News
No Result
View All Result
Home Africa

Sierra Leone Passes Law Reserving 30% of Jobs for Women

by Our Reporter
January 20, 2023
Sierra Leone Passes Law Reserving 30% of Jobs for Women

Women in office

7
VIEWS

Sierra Leone passed a law Thursday requiring public and private entities to reserve 30 percent of their jobs for women, in a bid to tackle gender imbalances in a society that favours men.

President Julius Maada Bio signed into law the bill, which also assures women at least 14 weeks of maternity leave, equal pay and training opportunities.

Related Stories

Uganda Cranes in Botswana Ahead of World Cup Qualifier

Spotify’s ‘Culture in Motion’ Project to Document Global Rise of Afrobeats

AfDB and Bloomberg Partner to Unlock Private Investment for Africa’s Growth

Bio said it would “address the gender imbalances in this country comprehensively. We have to make sure it works.

“We must end the impunity or violence against women in elections and public life and punish all persons and entities found guilty of such violence,” he added.

Women in Sierra Leone experience systematic discrimination and, according to Human Rights Watch, it has been common practice to fire them if they fall pregnant.

Many women and girls also face high levels of sexual violence, partly a legacy of the use of rape as a weapon during the 1991-2002 civil war.

The new bill also aims to improve women’s access to finance in a country where they have often been unable to get credit.

The 30-percent jobs quota also applies to management roles, to stop employers from merely hiring women to lower-level jobs to comply with the new law. It applies, too, to the 146-seat parliament and the civil service.

Fines for non-compliance

Women are poorly represented in Sierra Leonean politics, as they are in many other West African countries. The country currently only has 18 woman MPs and there are only four women in Bio’s 32-member cabinet.

“Women who wish to serve in public office and their supporters must not be undermined, belittled, intimated or humiliated,” said Bio.

“It’s not going to be easy because that space has been occupied by men for a very long time, we must monitor electoral processes to ensure election fairness and transparency.”

Employers who breach the new quotas can face a fine of up to 50.000 leones ($2,600, 2,400 euros) for each violation.

“We are happy today as our dream for an improved political, social and economic empowerment of women and girls in Sierra Leone has started,” said Sally Ndimawa Adams, who heads the Sierra Leone Women’s Forum.

Sierra Leone is ranked 182nd out of 189 countries on the UN’s 2020 Gender Development Index. Nearly half of the countries in the bottom 20 are in West Africa.

By AFP 

Tags: BiolawSierra LeoneSoftPowerSoftPower NewsTop Uganda Newswomen

Recent Stories

Uganda Cranes in Botswana Ahead of World Cup Qualifier

Spotify’s ‘Culture in Motion’ Project to Document Global Rise of Afrobeats

AfDB and Bloomberg Partner to Unlock Private Investment for Africa’s Growth

Uganda to Mark National Day at Expo 2025 Osaka with Business, Culture and Diplomacy

Hoima City Stadium Unveils its Crown Jewels: Sports Arena, Pool and VVIP Lounge

Muntu Rallies Ankole, Urges Opposition Unity to Retire Museveni

SoftPower News Logo

SoftPower News is a subsidiary of SoftPower Communications LLC, a Ugandan digital media group. Keep posted of the latest from Uganda and East Africa.
Plot 4B Malcolm X, Kololo
P.O Box 1497, Kampala - Uganda
Tel: +256-392-001-701
Email: info@softpower.ug

This news site is licenced by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC)

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Regional
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More

© SoftPower News

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

error: Content is protected
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women

© SoftPower News

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?