Prior to their official inauguration slated for tomorrow Friday 7th Decemb

Women in Sierra Leone fight to gain more posts during the upcoming general elections in July, 2007. Women activists and leaders claim that their gender is the biggest obstacle for getting elected as there are deep rooted stereotypes and discrimination against women in the country.

The All People's Congress (APC), Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and People's Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) all come in well below the goal of 30% representation of women in parliament, as set out in the Commonwealth Plan of Action and Millennium Development Goals.

Having the right to vote is one thing; using it properly, or indeed at all, is quite another, as Sierra Leone has shown ahead of general elections this Saturday.
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At first glance, women are doing better in Sierra Leone. In the last election, women tripled the number of seats they hold in parliament. They now control 14 percent of parliament. A few women have even taken up prominent ministry posts.

The Club of Madrid in Spain in partnership with Campaign for Good Governance under an initiative called African Women Leaders Project (AWLP) are presently in Freetown to implement a programmes to strengthen democracy through Women's empowerment.