Following the successful training of female candidates over the past five years after the 2018 elections, which received support from Trocaire, Irish Aid, and other partners, the Women's Forum for Human Rights and Democracy (WOFHRAD) has been contracted by World Vision to implement a project for the upcoming June 24th, 2023 elections.
WOFHRAD has been selected by World Vision to provide training to female candidates in six districts of Sierra Leone: Karene, Pujehun, Bombali, Western Area Rural, Kono, and Western Area Urban. World Vision conducted a thorough assessment and chose WOFHRAD based on its qualifications.
The training program commenced on Thursday, June 1st, in Karene District, located in the North West Region. It will span two weeks, concluding on June 16th, 2023, covering all six districts.
Emilia Kamara-Jengo, the Co-founder and Programs Coordinator of WOFHRAD, spoke with NewsFeed Sierra Leone and elaborated on the project's objectives. The primary aim is to educate women candidates in crucial areas such as gender, human rights, public speaking, and leadership. Kamara-Jengo stressed the significance of these areas, emphasizing that they are vital not only during the campaign period but also when elected candidates must effectively address and represent the interests of the people they serve.
Furthermore, Kamara-Jengo underscored the importance of upholding and safeguarding human rights as essential qualities of a good leader. She emphasized the immense value of this training.
Kamara-Jengo acknowledged that the number of participants varies across districts, especially considering the inclusion of female candidates from different political parties. She stated, "In total, we will be training over three hundred candidates. The numbers differ due to variations in the list of female candidates we received from the ECSL district offices. Western Area alone has provided us with over one hundred candidates, while Kono has more than eighty, and so on."
In conclusion, Kamara-Jengo urged the female candidates benefiting from this project to make the most of this training opportunity. She acknowledged the expenses involved in organizing such programs nationwide, including costs for fuel, food, and other resources. Kamara-Jengo expressed the expectation that every beneficiary would share and disseminate this knowledge within their respective communities, with the aim of empowering more capable and successful women in the political arena.
She emphasized that this training will also serve to challenge and transform the stereotypes surrounding women's participation in politics.