A couple of days ago, I was doing some research online looking for data on women in mining in Sierra Leone. This topic is an interest of mine because my major in college is Mining and Minerals Engineering; also, I am very passionate about girls' and women's issues, which is why I decided to add a minor in Women and Gender Studies. Unfortunately, I was unable to find applicable data for this topic in my research. However, I came across several articles that talk about women's land rights in Sierra Leone. The articles talked about the women's low ability to own properties such as lands on their own without co-signers. What's intriguing about this fact is that women "constitute 60-80% of the agricultural workforce" but cannot own lands (West Africa Democracy Radio).
In June 2012, a three-day conference on Women's Rights to Land and Justice was held in Freetown, Sierra Leone. At the conference, women's access to land rights was discussed in further details and how women's voices can be heard, especially the farmers. Currently in Sierra Leone, women "rarely own land titles or property in this country, either individually or jointly with their husbands." In the article, it is said that "The campaign seeks to address the pressing need to discuss and develop national approaches to women's rights to property and land and access to justice around these issues in Sierra Leone ... Up to now, violation of women's rights and the inter-relationship between these violations and other gender based violence issues have remained in the background, according to activists."
Personally, I know that women's right to own land and property is a conversation of great relevance. Women must have the right to own as much property as possible, even if it is not the norm of society. Today, women work in the public and private sectors, therefore, it is imperative that they gain ownership and contribute to job creation for our country, Sierra Leone. Due to traditions of past times, women were not allowed to own property but were the property of the men in their kinship. Laws must be created and enforced nationwide which gives women the right to own lands. Granting women the right to own land will also help create opportunities for more women and men who work in the agricultural sectors. Agriculture is a very relevant industry in the rural area of Sierra Leone, and I believe it will be very beneficial if some of these jobs are created and directed by women farmers as well. Women already carry many titles in life, and I am advocating for land/property owner to be added to that list.
My personal platform as Miss Sierra Leone USA is SHERO: H is for health, R is for rights, and O is for opportunities. Women must have the right and all-access to owning property regardless of how large or small scale it may be. I am not advocating that all women must own properties, but I want them to have a choice in that aspect. By having this right, they in return can create multiple opportunities for other women in their area of interest. I believe that with increase in land ownership by women, it can be of great benefit to several regions and Sierra Leone's economy. In a 2012 data collected on Sierra Leone's GDP, agriculture contributes to 51% of the country's economy. It can increase Sierra Leone's food and cash crop production with the creation of jobs for more farmers, and possibility of sales increase that benefit the salary of workers. Another reason why women's access to society's opportunities is that Sierra Leone was ranked 66 out of 86 in the year 2012 by the Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI). I find this statistic to be very disappointing.
Another reason why I highly advocate for betterment in the agricultural sector is because it is vital for the people's nourishment. Creating jobs and opportunities for workers in farms increases production and chances of having naturally-grown foods. Being a Sierra Leonean woman, I always look forward to eating my cassava leaves, rice, potato leaves, greens, cassava, etc. Yes, they can be grown on their own but the nurturing of farmers is of great importance. We will not have the necessary nutrients in these leaves and carbohydrates if it weren't for the farmers that take care of them each day. Never forget that wel bodi na gentri (health is wealth in krio).
Therefore, I advocate for women's right to own lands and support the movement of property management by women. I believe that in any work of life, the women and men must be well taken care of in order to achieve success. Sierra Leone must invest in women as much as men in all sectors of life in order to fully attain development. Also, more women need to take initiative and step up in leadership and management in the agricultural sector.
Ruby B. Johnson,
Your Miss Sierra Leone USA
SOURCE:
Advancing Sierra Leone's women's rights to land, justice
Sierra Leone Country Report
Fairer deal for rural women
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