Sierra Leone’s Women Are Called to Lead — Then Punished for It: Inyillah Borteh Conteh Kallon

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 normalized that they almost feel woven into the fabric of everyday life.

Just this morning, I heard of a two-year-old girl in Kono who tragically lost her life following sexual assault. That alone should shake any society to its core.

Instead, this reflection focuses on something equally troubling: how women’s contributions to national development are often ignored, undermined, or outright sabotaged.

Consider the case of Zainab Sheriff. An entrepreneur, she has used her platform to empower young people in Sierra Leone, particularly young women.

I cannot in good conscience defend the comments she made; they were distasteful and unnecessary.

But does that justify her repeated denial of bail by the court handling her case?

Is her alleged offense more severe than that of Jihad Basma, the British national implicated in diamond theft who was granted bail to travel abroad for medical treatment?

If the justice system is to maintain credibility, it must apply fairness consistently.

Zainab Sheriff, like any citizen, has rights. Yet one of those rights, fair treatment under the law, appears to be slipping through the cracks of the very system designed to protect it.

Is she a murderer? A threat to public safety? A danger to the state? Did she commit treason?

If the answer to any of these questions were yes, then the severity of her legal ordeal might be easier to understand. But the answer is no. She has been a peaceful citizen whose work has contributed to society. So what exactly is the crime that justifies such treatment? Saying offensive things about the ruling SLPP government?

If harsh words alone can transform a citizen into a criminal undeserving of bail, then the implications for free expression are deeply troubling.

Marcella Macauley’s story reveals a similar pattern. A respected advocacy leader, she has spent decades pushing for transparency and accountability in Sierra Leone’s democratic space. Since 1996, she has consistently spoken truth to power, and for that, she has endured threats, harassment, and intimidation.

When she predicted that President Julius Maada Bio would face a runoff election against his main opponent, Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara, in the 2023 elections, her warning was dismissed.

But when the runoff never materialized and she raised concerns about possible voter fraud, the backlash quickly followed. The threats became so severe that she was forced to leave Sierra Leone and seek safety in the United States.

Ironically, later reports from international observers, including the European Union and the Carter Center, raised questions about the election process as well. Yet despite this, Marcella continues to face baseless accusations and political hostility.

The experiences of Zainab Sheriff and Marcella Macauley are not isolated incidents. They reflect a broader pattern confronting women in Sierra Leone.

Whether a woman seeks public office, advocates for reform, or simply chooses to live independently, the path is rarely clear. 

There is always another barrier waiting to undermine her voice, her credibility, or her career. In Sierra Leone, it often seems that the moment a woman discovers her voice and begins to exercise it, she becomes a problem to be managed rather than a citizen to be heard.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” But for many women in Sierra Leone, those words feel more aspirational than real. 

Women working tirelessly to improve the lives of others are still subjected to verbal attacks, public humiliation, threats, and, in some cases, unfair treatment within the justice system.

At the same time, the nation continues to call for greater female participation in national development.

The contradiction could not be clearer. Women are invited to contribute, yet punished when their voices become too loud, too independent, or too inconvenient. What a cruel irony. 

To the women of Sierra Leone, we must not give up. The insults may come. The character attacks may follow. Our reputation may be questioned, and our courage tested.

But remember this, no one can truly break us unless we allow them to. Our mothers and grandmothers endured struggles far greater than many of us will ever know.

They fought battles that history has forgotten. They shaped societies that rarely acknowledged their sacrifices. Yet because of them, we stand where we stand today.

So let us continue to raise the bar, for ourselves and for one another. Every fight against injustice matters. Every act of courage matters. We do not persevere simply because we are women. We persevere because we are capable.

Happy International Women’s Day. #IWD2026