The Parliamentary Female Caucus of Sierra Leone has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening laws and parliamentary oversight to address violence against women and girls following the conclusion of a three-day workshop organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK (CPA UK) in collaboration with the Centre for Strategy and Parliamentary Studies (CSPS) of the Parliament of Sierra Leone.
The workshop ended on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, at Committee Room One of the Parliament Building in Freetown, bringing together members of Sierra Leone’s Parliamentary Female Caucus and a delegation of Members of the UK Parliament.
The engagement focused on strengthening legislative action, improving parliamentary oversight and promoting cooperation between Sierra Leonean and UK parliamentarians in tackling sexual and gender-based violence.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Female Caucus and Chairperson of the Health Committee, Hon. Wuyatta Bernadette Songa, highlighted the widespread nature of violence against women and girls, noting that many cases remain unreported because of fear, intimidation, stigma and pressure from families and communities.
She called for stronger support systems for survivors, effective implementation of existing laws and greater accountability in addressing gender-based violence.
Discussions during the workshop covered public health approaches to gender-based violence, constituency engagement, data collection, legislative scrutiny, cross-party collaboration and the role of civil society organisations in policy development.
Participants also examined Sierra Leone’s legal framework for protecting women and children, including the Sexual Offences Act of 2012, amended in 2019; the Child Rights Act of 2007; the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act of 2022; and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2024.
The workshop further sought to strengthen parliamentarians’ capacity to scrutinise legislation, identify implementation challenges and develop evidence-based policies that respond to survivors’ needs.
One of the expected outcomes was the development of a Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Action Plan in collaboration with the Parliamentary Female Caucus, alongside stronger working relationships between Sierra Leonean and UK parliamentarians, experts and other stakeholders.
The engagement builds on previous collaboration between CPA UK and the Parliament of Sierra Leone to promote gender equality, women’s political participation and the prevention of violence against women and girls.
The workshop highlighted the importance of sustained parliamentary cooperation and effective implementation of legislation to ensure that women and girls can live free from violence, discrimination and abuse.
