STATEMENT BY
MANUEL MÜLLER,

AMBASSADOR OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO SIERRA LEONE

AT THE ADVOCACY DAY SESSION IN RESPECT OF THE IWD 2024

I feel honoured to be here today. The European Union and Sierra Leone share the aim for a world where the rights of girls and women are claimed, valued and respected by all. For a world where everyone can fulfil their potential and contribute to a more fair and just society.

Many years have passed since the first International Women’s Day and the world still needs to be inspired. Women are the ones who are going to inspire this change: to inspire inclusion.

 “Inspire Inclusion” is this year’s theme:

• Inspire inclusion of girls in education,
• inspire inclusion of women in the job market,
• inspire inclusion of women in decision making.

Inspiring inclusion of women and girls is not a ladies’ business but everyone’s business. Yes – let’s be a “he for she”! Participation of recognition of equal rights to women are prerequisites for sustainable development, economic prosperity and a peaceful society.

We should all bear in mind that everything starts with granting women access to education, that is the cornerstone of a prosperous society. Congratulations to the Government of Sierra Leone for bringing more girls to school!

Ensuring women’s access to education will grant access to decent work. Decent work is vital for human welfare and allow families to be taken out of poverty. Breaking the barriers that exist for women in entering income-generating activities, will disrupt cycles of poverty. The EU is resolute in promoting decent work, equal pay and facilitating women’s formal economic participation. However, also within EU, a lot of work still has to be done to reach these targets.

Gender equality is a core value that the European Union and Sierra Leone share. The European Union commends the efforts of Sierra Leone towards gender equality and congratulates the Government for its leadership. With the great work to implement the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, the country has the potential to make further remarkable progress towards an inclusive society with women fairly represented at political, institutional, and economical level. 

The European Union and the Government of Sierra Leone are on women’s side. Today I am very pleased to announce that very soon the signature of the financing agreement between the EU and the Government of Sierra Leone that will kick start a specific programme to end all forms of violence against women and girls: the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative. This ambitious programme is a joint effort between the European Union and the United Nations in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone to address important issues:

• legislative and policy barriers
• as well as norms and behaviours
• aiming at improving survivors’ services and reinforcing women’s rights groups.

On this positive note, I wish you all of you a happy International Women Day. Side by side! Put value pa uman fo den quick betteh!