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Empowering women to empower the Sahel

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Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

In March 2021, the Government of Sierra Leone officially announced its commitment to the initiative.

Education Plus has been formally integrated into the country’s education, gender, health and other relevant sectors, and into the gender thematic group. The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education established a youth advisory board for education. Other ongoing key interventions around comprehensive sexuality education in the curriculum, the introduction of standard operating procedures for youth-friendly centres to integrate sexual and reproductive health and rights services, menstrual hygiene pads distribution and the national action committee for sexual and gender-based violence were reactivated.

· Rate of teenage pregnancies is at 30%.
· Sierra Leone ranked 18th globally with 13% of girls getting married by 15 years and 39% by age 18.
· 22% of the GDP is allocated to free compulsory quality basic education.
· A higher proportion of young women at 71% reported having sex before age 18 than young men at 47%.
· 42 % of households are headed by females.
· Despite the number of females in the working-age population exceeding males, participation rates in the labour force remained lower at 50,7% in 2022 compared to 63,2% for males.

Sierra Leone

Despite the number of females in the working-age population exceeding males, participation rates in the labour force remained lower at 50,7% in 2022 compared to 63,2% for males.

Upcoming Activities

October 11, 2023

October 11, International Day of the Girl Child

October 12, 2023

October 11-12 , 2023 Global Forum for Adolescents (GFA)

December 4, 2023

International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA)