9rivermedia

There is very little space, political or otherwise, for women to truly thrive in Sierra Leone. When they are not being locked behind bars and denied bail, as in the case of Zainab Sheriff, they are publicly defamed, bullied online, and body-shamed, as Marcella Macauley has repeatedly experienced. Many of these women are not merely participants in national life, they are contributors to Sierra Leone’s progress. In a country still struggling under the weight of corruption and weak institutions, they have helped push conversations about accountability, transparency, and social development forward. Yet time and again, obstacles appear in the paths of women who attempt to lead, speak, or challenge the status quo. This piece will not even attempt to unpack the full range of challenges facing women in Sierra Leone, like domestic violence, sexual violence, and systemic discrimination, because doing so would require confronting a reality that runs painfully deep. These issues have become so nor...