On March 8, 2025, UN Women Sierra Leone and the Indian High Commission celebrated International Women’s Day at Sierra Palms Hotel.
The event gathered Indian women entrepreneurs, professionals, Sierra Leone government officials, and UN Women staff to exchange insights on gender equality, drawing lessons from India to benefit Sierra Leone.
Initiated by UN Women, the event featured discussions on women’s economic empowerment and the private sector’s role in health, education, and, business development. The Indian High Commissioner highlighted women’s progress in India and Sierra Leone, emphasizing economic empowerment as crucial for gender equality. He called for enabling policies to support women’s growth in business and leadership.
Deputy Minister for Gender and Children’s Affairs, Mr. Charles Vandy, praised the Indian community’s contributions to Sierra Leone’s economic growth and advocated for stronger partnerships to boost women’s entrepreneurship and leadership.
This year’s theme, “For All Women and Girls – Rights, Equality, Empowerment,” reinforced commitments to the Beijing+30 Agenda and Sierra Leone’s gender equality efforts through policy reforms and economic inclusion. The event advanced the Global Women’s Empowerment Principles and the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act (GEWE 2022).
A key outcome was the Indian High Commission’s pledge to support women’s education through STEM scholarships and forensics training for the national police, marking a long-term investment in women’s leadership.
Expressing gratitude, UN Women’s Head Office in Sierra Leone called for continued partnerships to ensure women’s potential is fully realized. The event concluded with cultural performances by the Indian women’s community, celebrating cultural unity and commitment to empowering women.
