The chairman, the Strategic Advisory Team, Elections Observer Network (EON), Ambassador Soulay Daramy has disclosed that the country lacks electoral process education.
Ambassador Daramy was speaking at the conference hall of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), on Tower Hill in Freetown, on Wednesday 31st of January 2024, during a presentation of research on gender-inclusive practices in the June 2023 elections. The gender audit was sponsored by the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
The Chairman, of the Strategic Advisory Team, revealed that they felt the need to research ECSL because ECSL is mandated to ensure that political parties conform to the one woman in a list of three individuals in an election. “You cannot give what you don’t have, hence, the need to audit ECSL to ascertain whether they fulfill the 30% quota for women.
Findings by the EON reveal that about 80% of the staff at ECSL are male, noting that only 20% are female, and this falls short by 10% of the minimum threshold of 30% quota by the GEWE Act.
Some of the recommendations put forward by EON included the following:
- ECSL to review its current hiring and internal gender policy practices
- Consideration of Affirmative Action
- Development of staff capacity-building programs to encourage staff internal mobility
- Collect comprehensive data on permanent and temporary staff and make data available to the public.
The ambassador made clear that EON is not an election management body, adding that EON is not a parallel outfit to ECSL. “EON is a citizen’s outfit that ensures that Sierra Leoneans participate in the electoral process.
Executive Director, of Elections Observer Network (EON), Samuel Patrick Mattia expressed his heartfelt gratitude to ECSL for allowing them to carry out a gender audit on them.
The Executive Director told this medium that they intend to sustain their research work on issues that are germane to electoral education and proffer recommendations on the same should the required finances are available.
Receiving the report, Chief Electoral Officer, Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), Mohamed Konneh remarked that allowing EON to audit their staffing is a demonstration of their open door policy and respect and collaboration with one another.
He expressed gratitude to EON for putting together such a report on the composition of gender representation in the Commission. He assured that the recommendations were received in good faith. The ECSL Boss recommends that to increase women’s representation in the country, we need to look at the laws and make them more entrenched.
The Resident Senior Program Director, of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Mohamed Ibrahim Konneh remarked that the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act is aimed at inclusivity, but noted that there is a long step away from achieving gender equality in the country.
However, he said that the research will be used to encourage more conversations around gender equality in Sierra Leone.
Head of the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), Abdulai Bangura, Esq thanked EON for their observation, adding that they received the observation in good faith. The PPRC Boss assured that they will work on whatever recommendation relates to the PPRC.
