With Elections coming Up…
Caritas Freetown Director Calls for women’s Support
By Mohamed Konneh
The Executive Director of Caritas Freetown in Sierra Leone has called on the government of Sierra Leone to establish structures to protect women in the upcoming elections.
In his message on the annual International Women’s Day (IWD) marked on March 8, Fr. Peter Konteh underscore the need to ensure that women's voices are heard in any given political process.
Fr. Konteh said that women who express their interest in politics, as well as those who turn up to vote, must overcome numerous hurdles.
“Women face various challenges when participating in elections, such as social and cultural barriers, lack of resources and support, and discrimination and violence, Fr. Konteh said.”
He said the theme for this year’s celebration ‘Embrace Equity is aim at getting “the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren’t enough”.
Fr. Konteh noted to support women's participation in elections is important and to promote women's leadership and political participation, provide training and resources for women candidates, and address the structural and cultural barriers that limit women's participation.”
The Caritas Freetown Executive Director said it is important to ensure the safety and security of women candidates and voters and to provide them with equal access to information, resources, and opportunities.
‘There is every need to maintain the need to ensure that the elections in Sierra Leone scheduled for June 24 are free of violence. Preventing violence and supporting women's participation in elections is essential for promoting democracy and ensuring that all citizens have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process.
“It is important for all stakeholders to work together to create a safe and inclusive environment for elections and to promote gender equality in political participation,” the award winning Catholic Priest says.
He observes that violence can intimidate voters, disrupt the voting process, and create an atmosphere of fear and insecurity.
Fr. Konteh added, “It is also important to promote dialogue and cooperation among political parties and to encourage them to respect the outcome of the election.”
