By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
Empowering girls is not just a moral obligation; it is one of the smartest and most transformative investments Sierra Leone can make, as the nation strives toward sustainable development and economic progress, one truth remains undeniable: no country has achieved meaningful advancement without prioritizing the rights, education, and wellbeing of its girls, yet despite years of advocacy, far too many girls in Sierra Leone continue to face obstacles that limit their potential and weaken national growth.
Across the country, countless girls struggle with limited access to quality education, early marriage, sexual violence, inadequate healthcare, and cultural norms that consistently place boys ahead of them, these challenges are not merely personal hardships they are national barriers with long-term consequences, when a girl is denied education, silenced from expressing her potential, or forced into early motherhood, the entire nation loses, each girl who drops out of school represents lost human capital, lost innovation, and lost economic opportunity.
The statistics tell a troubling story, teenage pregnancy remains one of the leading causes of school dropout among girls, early marriage robs them of their childhood and exposes them to serious health risks, including life-threatening complications during childbirth, in many communities, traditional beliefs still discourage girls from entering careers in science, leadership, or entrepreneurship, and in an age of rapid technological change, too many girls are missing out on digital literacy, limiting their competitiveness in the modern job market.
Empowering girls must therefore go beyond slogans. It requires deliberate, consistent, and nationwide action, this includes enforcing laws that protect girls’ rights, strengthening policies that keep them in school, and creating safe spaces where they can grow without fear. It means investing in healthcare, establishing mentorship programs, supporting teenage mothers to return to school, and confronting harmful cultural practices that limit girls’ ambitions.
Government alone cannot shoulder this burden, parents must champion the dreams of their daughters, communities must question and reject discriminatory norms, religious and traditional leaders must use their influence to protect girls rather than restrict them, schools must become safer, more inclusive environments, and the private sector must support programs that strengthen girls’ skills and economic independence.
If Sierra Leone truly wants a prosperous future, empowering girls must move from conversation to commitment a commitment lived out in homes, classrooms, policies, and national leadership. The nation can rise, but only if its girls rise too.
The truth is simple: when girls succeed, Sierra Leone succeeds, educated girls grow into empowered women who uplift their families from poverty, strengthen their communities, and contribute significantly to national prosperity. They become teachers, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, and leaders’ roles essential for national development.
Sierra Leone’s progress depends on unlocking the potential of every child, especially the girl child who has been historically overlooked, empowering girls is not charity. It is not a favour, it is a development strategy the most powerful one we have, the sooner we recognize this, the faster our nation will grow.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 26th November 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
