USAID in Sierra Leone works to increase women’s participation in social, political and economic activities to improve the quality of life for women, men, families and communities.

USAID

Despite increasing its stature as a key player in international peacekeeping operations and a practicing democratic state, Sierra Leone has a lot of challenges to rebuild its democracy. These challenges include limited accountability and transparency, participatory governance and commitment to uphold the rule of law. The negative impact of corruption, limited and delayed funding to the local councils and unclear roles and responsibilities in local governance is affecting the governance and development trajectory in meeting the sustainable development goals. In response to these challenges, USAID programs and partners have advance participatory democracy, human rights, women empowerment and effective local governance to promote participatory, inclusive and accountable governance and support to a free, fair, credible and peaceful 2018 presidential, parliamentary and local council elections.

Women Empowered for Leadership and Development (WELD) 2014-2017. The Sierra Leone Women Empowered for Leadership and Development (WELD) Project is a three-year project funded by USAID to increase women’s social, political and economic rights in seven districts (57 chiefdoms) in Sierra Leone. The program is working towards reducing the barriers to women's participation in decision making at local and community level, building the capacity of local councils and sub national entities to deliver gender-sensitive programs and policies and strengthening civil society to advocate for gender policy at local and national level.

Sierra Leone Elections Dialogue Series (SLEDS) (April 2017-April 2018). This project will implement public dialogue series, debates by aspiring candidates at national and local level on key political, social and economic issues affecting citizens of Sierra Leone. The project is designed to increase the participation of women candidates during the debates and dialogue series. In addition the project will reinforce the capacity of Sierra Leonean journalists’ in fact checking, issues analysis and evidence-based elections reporting. There will be constructive engagement of in civil society in political dialogue in preparation for the 2018 elections. The program will also engage women, primarily in rural communities, to build greater female political participation at the local levels.

Empowering Women in Politics (September 2017-September 2018). This project aims to increase the number of women with the skills, experience, and the will to run for and occupy public offices and strengthen the demand for women in politics in Sierra Leone, reduction to risk of violence against women before, during and after the 2018 elections, increased community support for women participation in politics and decision making, facilitating fund raising activities for women candidates and building the capacity of elected women candidates in policy making and development. “Women Empowerment Centers” will be established to create “safe space” resource centers where trainings, meetings, voter education, and workshops can be undertaken.

National Early Warning Systems and Reacting to Early Warning and Response Data in West Africa (March 2017—June 2018). This two-component project, which is part of a broader West African regional security initiative> The project focus in Sierra Leone is to enhance early warning and response system to reduce the risk of violence in the 2018 Sierra Leone elections and political processes . Data on election violence will be collected analyzed and reports prepared with recommendations for the National Elections Response Group engagement of key stakeholders thereby mitigating election violence and triggers to conflict. Small grants will be provided to civil society organizations to improve their ability to respond to election violence triggers in the 2018 elections in Sierra Leone.