Sierra Leone

International Women’s Day, 8 March 2008, is celebrated around the world to mark women’s advancement and empowerment, and an occasion to celebrate the chronology of milestones of women’s achievements. For the women of the world, the day’s symbolism has a wider meaning as it reviews how far they have come in the struggle for equality. In addition, it is recognized under the central organizing principle of the work of the United Nations that no enduring solution to society’s most threatening social, economic and political problems can be found without the full participation and empowerment of the world’s women.

As 70% of the world’s poor and 65% of the world’s illiterate are women, this 8 March, the newly established Sierra Leone Female Musicians Association (SLFMA) will join women’s groups all over the world through music, to raise awareness on gender equality.

The Sierra Leone Female Musicians Association (SLFMA), in collaboration with the United Nations, Care and Tigo, are organizing a first ever national musical tour to mobilize resources to assist development partners and government in addressing issues that affect women in Sierra Leone today. By organizing a national musical tour themed ‘Fighting Gender Inequality and Poverty’ the musicians call to attention that feminization of poverty is a reality that must be addressed, as it is pivotal to the development of any democratic nation.

The musical tour will be a unique opportunity for this talented group of over 30 popular female artists to reach women in the country on the importance of fighting poverty and eradicating gender inequality for a better Sierra Leone.

The national music tour kicks off at the National Stadium in Freetown on Saturday, 8 March at 5pm. With a mix of over 30 performances from Sierra Leone’s top female musicians, the show promises to be one not to miss. Admission is subsided at just 2,000 Leones entry.

Proceeds raised from the tour will go towards developing specific programmes that will address women’s issues, as part of the association’s contribution to women’s empowerment and advancement in the country. SLFMA is also working closely with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, and part of the funds raised from the tour will go towards programmes and initiatives of the ministry. The budget allocated to the Ministry from the entire national budget is 0.19%, therefore support for such an initiative is timely to assist in fulfilling its mandate.

Ms. Vicky Forna, President of Sierra Leone Female Musicians Association,
telephone +232-33-577594
Ms. Adama Thorlie, HIV/AIDs and Gender Programme Analyst, UNDP,
telephone +232-76-214272 / +232-33-701336; email:adama.thorlie@undp.org