S’ LEONE FIRST LADY: WOMEN’S RIGHTS UNDER SIEGE

On many levels, Sierra Leone has one of the worst gender gaps in the world. As of 2021, women held only 12.3% of seats in parliament, while less than 10 per cent aged over 25 have secondary education. That’s not acceptable, according to the country’s First Lady Fatima Maada Bio. And in this interview she says ‘pushing women into the kitchen’ is strangling her country’s development. She compares it to telling Muhammad Ali to box with one hand.

Rwanda leads the way in African politics, in terms of female representation. Just over half its cabinet positions are held by women. Other countries with similar numbers include South Africa and Ethiopia.

The question is, when will other African nations catch up?