Liberia’s Vice President, Jewel Howard Taylor, has called on Sierra Leonean lawmakers to give more space for women representation.
Mrs Taylor who is on her first visit to the country addressed the House of Parliament in Freetown on Thursday, where she suggested that at least 30 percent of female representation could be a good start towards the empowerment of women in political and other decision making bodies.
Taylor, who is herself a lawmaker, as president of the Liberian Senate, told the Sierra Leonean House that it is time for more women to be included in the legislature where critical decisions that concern the lives of citizens are made. With the involvement of women, she noted, together MPs can bring their ideas and visions for the betterment of the nation. She lamented the fact that even though women make up 50% of the population, their representation is still very low.
With more female representation, there can be peace, tranquility, equality, among many laurels, within the country, she said.
Another issue the Liberian Vice President spoke on was Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).
Vice President Taylor is in Sierra Leone on the invitation of First Lady Fatima Bio, to attend the 10th Conference on Sexual Health Rights which took place in Freetown from June 27th to June 1st. The conference brought together delegates from more than 41 countries mostly in Africa.
Mrs Taylor said their discussions focused on SGBV, amid a high level of rape and early child marriage that are still occurring not just in Sierra Leone, but across the continent. She praised the government of Sierra Leone for hosting the event and for its efforts in ending these scourges. She also praised the lawmakers for their role in all of it, especially by passing relevant laws.
Mrs Taylor pleaded with men to change their behaviour and see women as “God’s special gift.”
“Whether you are Christian or Muslim, the Bible and Quran [tell] us one story: That He [God] created the entire earth. He said it was good, but then [He] looked back and realised that there is something missing and so He created woman. If God says in spite all things a woman is needed, who are we as mere mortals to continue to deny simple rights and responsibilities that we have?” she said.
Mrs Taylor further called on men who are the holders of power in all aspects of national life to become true ‘He for She’ champions and to help figure out how to reduce the occurrence of sexual and gender based violence. She noted that most of the crimes related to these issues are being committed by men.
“Women therefore do not ask for more than their basic rights,” she said.
Liberia, one of two countries sharing borders with Sierra Leone, is dealing with similar socioeconomic problems – poverty, gender inequality and sexual and gender based violence, among others. But in terms of women’s participation in politics, Liberia has achieved far more. It became the first African country to produce a female president in 2006, when Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected to office. Sirleaf served for two terms and retired in 2018.
Mrs Taylor herself, before being elected to the Vice Presidency, served in the Liberian Senate for two terms, from 2006 to 2018. As Vice President, she has been the president of the Senate since 2018. She told the Sierra Leone Parliament that she is a beneficiary of the 30 percent quota law in her country.
Taylor expressed optimism that within the next few years, the issue of SGBV will be reduced across the African continent.
The leader of the female caucus in the house of parliament in Sierra Leone, Veronica Kadie Sesay, representing Constituency 094 in Moyamba District, described the visit of the Liberian Vice President as a blessing.
Hon. Sesay pointed out that out of the 146 MPs in Sierra Leone, women make just a “little representation,” even though men are friendly to their women counterparts.
The leader of the opposition C4C in Parliament, Saa Emerson Lamina, said the Truth and Reconciliation Commission(TRC) that was set up to look into the causes of the 1991-2002 civil war in Sierra Leone recommended for more women representation in both political appointment and elections. He also said that President Julius Maada Bio did not just promise to promote women, but has put it in action by putting it into legislation.
According to Hon. Lamina, there are women out there in society who are with substance and some of whom can even do more than some men. He praised the Liberian Vice President for inspiring young ladies in Sierra Leone.
Chernor Maju Bah, the leader of the main opposition APC in the House, said the Liberian VP’s eloquence was an indication that she did not acquire her position by accident, but by merit.
The Leader of Government Business in parliament, Mattew Saa Nyuma, said the cultural, religious and political practices have all ruined women.
