“ALL Means ALL: If It Truly Includes ALL Women and Girls, Then Women with Disabilities Must Be at the Centre of Governance”
As the world observes International Women’s Day under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” it is vital that Sierra Leone confronts a long-standing truth: women and girls with disabilities remain among the most excluded in governance, political participation, and national decision-making. Their absence in leadership is not a reflection of limited capability, but of systemic barriers that continue to silence their voices where their contributions are most needed.
“Across Sierra Leone, women with disabilities continue to face heightened risks of sexual violence, exploitation, and harmful practices such as ‘night husbands,’ which violate their dignity and bodily autonomy. Many still struggle to access justice and medical care due to the absence of free healthcare drugs, discriminatory attitudes, and weak protection systems. These daily challenges are further compounded by the lack of stable livelihood support, limited access to capital, and exclusion from mainstream economic and empowerment programmes. As a nation committed to rights, justice, and inclusion, we must ensure that women with disabilities are no longer left at the margins but are fully supported to live with dignity and opportunity.” Brima A. Sheriff (Chairman NCPD)
Yet the most profound exclusion occurs in the governance space. Women with disabilities are too often placed on the sidelines of political structures; treated as symbolic figures or confined to “wings” instead of being integrated into the core leadership and policy frameworks of political parties. This contradicts the very essence of this year’s global theme. There can be no Rights, no Justice, and no meaningful Action if the women most affected by inequality are kept outside the rooms where decisions are made.
As we continue to witness and celebrate the gains brought about by the landmark Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022 a significant milestone in strengthening women’s representation across Sierra Leone and the appointment of Madam Maseray Brima Lavalie as Liaison Officer in the Office of the Presidential Adviser, the NCPD emphasise that the true promise of this progressive legislation can only be realised when every woman is meaningfully included. In this regard, we call on the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs to ensure that the implementation of the 30% GEWE quota explicitly provides for a dedicated and protected quota for women with disabilities.
Without such deliberate measures, women with disabilities risk remaining excluded from the very reforms designed to advance gender equality. Disability inclusion must not be treated as an assumption or an afterthought. It must be clearly guaranteed, measurable, and enforced within the national gender architecture, ensuring that the principles of equality and non-discrimination are translated into tangible opportunities for women with disabilities at all levels of leadership and decision-making.
In addition, we urge the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) to ensure that, as political parties comply with Recommendation 50 of the Tripartite Committee on inclusive participation, they also demonstrate clear commitment to nominating women with disabilities for internal leadership positions and elective office. Compliance must reflect not only numerical targets but genuine representation that empowers women with disabilities as political actors and decision-makers.
We further call on all political parties to redesign their leadership frameworks to actively recruit, empower, and elevate women with disabilities into substantive roles. Parties must remove internal barriers, make their systems accessible, strengthen protections against political violence, and create viable pathways for women with disabilities to contest elections, shape party policy, and influence national governance priorities.
International Women’s Day reminds us that equality is not achieved by intention but by design. Women with disabilities are leaders, innovators, and central actors in nation building.
The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities calls on all Sierra Leoneans that as we celebrate the progress made, we must continue to deepen our collective commitment to Rights, Justice, and Action for all women and girls. This commitment will be strongest when women with disabilities are actively placed at the center of governance and political representation, ensuring that they fully contribute to and benefit from the nation’s democratic and development processes in Sierra Leone.