Here are verified examples of specific motions, bills, debates and parliamentary actions where the Sierra Leone Female Parliamentary Caucus has influenced outcomes relating to SGBV (Sexual and Gender-Based Violence), women’s rights, and child rights:
1. Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2024
What it was:
A Private Member’s Bill that became law in June 2024 banning child marriage — protecting girls under 18 and creating legal provisions for annulment, protection of victims, and penalties. This law is a major child-rights victory.https://www.sierraleonemonitor.com/sierra-leone-parliament-passes-the-prohibition-of-child-marriage-act/?utm
Female Caucus involvement:
- Hon. Mariama Munia Zombo, a female MP, piloted the bill in Parliament, presenting evidence and arguing its necessity.
https://www.sierraleonemonitor.com/sierra-leone-parliament-passes-the-prohibition-of-child-marriage-act/?utm
Hon. Zainab Catherine Tarawally (female MP and Chair of the Gender Committee) supported and elaborated on the bill during the debates — helping secure passage.
Female MPs, including caucus members, advocated for the bill and lobbied colleagues across party lines to secure its approval.
https://forumnews-sl.com/female-parliamentary-caucus-supports-child-rights-bill-2024/?utm
Impact: This law directly strengthens child protection and tackles a root cause of SGBV and girls’ marginalization by outlawing early marriage.
2. Engagement and Support for the Child Rights Bill 2024What happened:
Before the Child Rights Bill was formally tabled for plenary debate, the Female Parliamentary Caucus met with the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs to review and advise on the draft. They were asked to lobby male MPs and shape legislative support for it.
Specific involvement:
- Caucus leaders like Hon. Bernadette Wayatta Songa and Hon. Veronica Sesay publicly committed to supporting the Bill and highlighted the importance of legislative refinement.
https://forumnews-sl.com/female-parliamentary-caucus-supports-child-rights-bill-2024/?utm
They participated in the harmonization of child protection laws, including challenging provisions around Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and pushing for stronger protections in the new law.https://forumnews-sl.com/female-parliamentary-caucus-supports-child-rights-bill-2024/?utm
Outcome: While the Bill faced resistance in Parliament (including postponements and debates over cultural issues), the Female Caucus has played a key role in keeping child-rights legislation alive in parliamentary discussions.
3. Workshops on Implementation of the Sexual Offences Act
Event:
The Parliamentary Female Caucus hosted and concluded a multi-day workshop on the Sexual Offences Act of 2012 and its 2019 amendment to strengthen implementation, oversight, and enforcement.https://sierraloaded.sl/news/female-caucus-sexual-offences-act-implementation/?utm
Caucus contribution:
- Led by Hon. Bernadette Wuyata Songa, the workshop brought together stakeholders to identify enforcement challenges and develop strategies for parliamentary oversight of this critical law against SGBV.
Significance: This reflects how the caucus influences policy enforcement, not just lawmaking — by mobilizing MPs and stakeholders to ensure existing protections against sexual violence are implemented.
4. Engagement and Advocacy on the Safe Motherhood / Reproductive Health Bill
Situation:
Although not exclusively an SGBV law, the Safe Motherhood Bill was presented in late 2024 to help improve reproductive health services for women and girls. Female caucus members came out strongly in support during parliamentary consideration.https://forumnews-sl.com/parliament-tables-landmark-bill-for-reproductive-health/?utm
Role of Female MPs:
- Leaders from the caucus, including its president and committee chairs, emphasized the need to pass the bill because women’s lives are endangered without it.
https://forumnews-sl.com/parliament-tables-landmark-bill-for-reproductive-health/?utm
Connection to SGBV/rights: Improved maternal health laws help reduce maternal deaths — a key issue affecting women and girls, especially survivors of sexual violence or early pregnancy.
5. Women, Peace, and Security Parliamentary Resolution
Historical example:
Back in 2019, Hon. Veronica Kadi Sesay, then President of the Female Caucus, moved a motion that led Parliament to adopt a Resolution on Women, Peace and Security — bringing global commitments (UNSCR 1325/1820) into national legislative focus. https://www.undp.org/sierra-leone/news/undps-work-parliaments-contributes-sierra-leone-adoption-resolution-women-peace-and-security?utm
What this achieved:
- Prompted commitments to amend discriminatory constitutional provisions
- Pushed for fast-tracking Child Rights Act reforms
- Placed gender mainstreaming and women’s protection firmly on parliamentary agenda.
Significance: This is a formal parliamentary motion that shaped legislative priorities around women’s rights and protection from violence.
Summary of Key Legislative/Parliamentary Influences
| Action / Bill / Motion | Caucus Role | Outcome |
| Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2024 | Sponsorship & debate leadership by female MPs | Child marriage outlawed (Sierra Leone Monitor) |
| Child Rights Bill (2024/2025) | Early technical review, advocacy, lobbying | Ongoing parliamentary consideration (Sierraloaded) |
| Sexual Offences Act Implementation Workshop | Organized caucus-led oversight training | Strengthened enforcement focus (Sierraloaded) |
| Safe Motherhood/Reproductive Health Bill | Vocal caucus support | Improved women’s healthcare policy discussion (Forum News) |
| Women, Peace and Security Resolution | Motion moved in Parliament | Formal gender-rights commitment in parliamentary business (UNDP) |
See links:
https://forumnews-sl.com/parliament-tables-landmark-bill-for-reproductive-health/?utmhttps://www.undp.org/sierra-leone/news/undps-work-parliaments-contributes-sierra-leone-adoption-resolution-women-peace-and-security?utm
Why These Matter
The Female Caucus doesn’t just draft laws — it shapes debates, mobilizes cross-party support, engages civil society and ministries, and strengthens legislative accountability on issues of violence and rights.
Their influence spans both new laws (e.g., child marriage ban) and implementation oversight (e.g., Sexual Offences Act) demonstrating that parliamentary action can affect both the letter and practice of rights protection.
QUOTES ON HOW FEMALE MPS DEBATE AND LOBBYING MALE CONUTERPARTS:
quotes and documented analysis showing how the Sierra Leone Female Parliamentary Caucus (and allied female MPs) have engaged male MPs and performed in parliamentary debates to build support for gender-related bills such as the Child Rights Bill, Child Marriage prohibition, and other women/children’s rights laws:
1. Quotes from Child Marriage Bill Debates
During the passage of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024 (a key child protection law), female MPs spoke directly in Parliament to build cross-party support — including reaching male colleagues:
Hon. Mariama Munia Zombo (Pujehun District), piloting the Bill:
“This Bill is about boys and girls.”
She emphasized the universal nature of the law — appealing not just to women’s concerns but to national values everyone should support. https://www.sierraleonemonitor.com/sierra-leone-parliament-passes-the-prohibition-of-child-marriage-act/?utm
Hon. Zainab Catherine Tarawally (Opposition Whip 2 & Chair, Gender Committee):
“This Bill is not for any political party, but a Bill for Sierra Leone.”
This statement was a deliberate appeal to male MPs and cross-party colleagues to support the law beyond partisan interests. https://www.sierraleonemonitor.com/sierra-leone-parliament-passes-the-prohibition-of-child-marriage-act/?utm
2. Engagement on the Child Rights Bill (Pre-Debate Lobbying)
Before the Child Rights Bill reached full plenary debate, the Female Parliamentary Caucus and Ministry of Gender Leaders explicitly called on female MPs to lobby male MPs for support:
At an engagement session:
The Minister of Gender told the Female Parliamentary Caucus to “lobby their male colleagues to enact the Bill when tabled in Parliament.”
This captures how the Caucus was positioned as a strategic bridge to secure buy-in from male MPs.
https://forumnews-sl.com/female-parliamentary-caucus-supports-child-rights-bill-2024/?utm
The President of the Caucus (Hon. Bernadette Wayatta Songa) stated the group would have a Legislative Session to review the Bill and prepare female MPs to argue for its passage — a key step in building broader parliamentary consensus. https://forumnews-sl.com/female-parliamentary-caucus-supports-child-rights-bill-2024/?utm
3. Caucus Strategy: Building Early Consensus
Analysis of the process shows the Caucus engages male MPs and the broader Parliament through structured preparatory measures:
a. Early Technical Engagement
Before tabling major gender/child protection bills (e.g., Child Rights Bill), female MPs are briefed and mobilized first — enabling them to bring informed arguments to male colleagues during formal debates.
This reflects a deliberate process of capacity building + peer lobbying.
https://forumnews-sl.com/female-parliamentary-caucus-supports-child-rights-bill-2024/?utm
b. Community & Stakeholder Feedback
The Caucus is often involved in later harmonization sessions where stakeholders such as chiefs, civil society and male MPs also participate — this builds social and political legitimacy for the draft law (which helps male MPs feel comfortable voting in favor).
https://forumnews-sl.com/female-parliamentary-caucus-supports-child-rights-bill-2024/?utm
4. Broader Parliamentary Engagements Showing Cross-Gender Support
While not exclusively quotes from the female caucus, other documented parliamentary debates reveal how male MPs have been influenced to support gender-related legislation:
In debates over the Gender Empowerment Act:
“We want men and women to work together in making society better.” — Hon. Rosy Kanu (Deputy Chair, Gender & Children Affairs Committee) invited male legislators to see women’s rights as a shared agenda.
This complemented the Caucus’s strategy of framing gender bills as national, not partisan, priorities.
5. How the Caucus Influences Male MPs — Analysis
Here’s how the Female Parliamentary Caucus strategically engages male MPs — based on documented discussions and parliamentary practice:
1) Framing Bills as National Issues
- Female MPs repeatedly emphasize that laws such as the Child Marriage Act and Child Rights Bill are “for Sierra Leone”, not just women’s issues. This rhetorical strategy makes it easier for male MPs to justify supporting them.
2) Showing Cross-Party & High-Level Support
- Engagements with figures like the First Lady and leaders across political divides signal that these laws have backing beyond gender constituencies, helping male MPs feel confident voting in favor.
3) Pre-Debate Lobbying
- Female MPs are briefed and mobilized before bills are tabled, giving them the confidence to present arguments in plenary that resonate with both male and female colleagues.
https://forumnews-sl.com/female-parliamentary-caucus-supports-child-rights-bill-2024/?utm
4) Leveraging Committee Chairs
- Many female MPs hold lead roles in key committees (e.g., Gender & Children’s Affairs), enabling them to shape language and reports that then go to male MPs with authority and credibility. (Context from wider parliamentary practice.)
https://forumnews-sl.com/female-parliamentary-caucus-supports-child-rights-bill-2024/?utm
5) Repeating Evidence & Personal Stories
- From statistics on child marriage to testimonies about harm, female MPs use evidence and emotional appeal in debates — a rhetorical technique that influences male colleagues by connecting abstract laws to human impacts.
summary of quotations and Insights:
| Context | Quote / Insight |
| Child Marriage Act Debate | “This Bill is about boys and girls.” — Hon. Zombo |
| Cross-Party Appeal | “This Bill is not for any political party, but a Bill for Sierra Leone.” — Hon. Tarawally |
| Lobbying Male MPs | Female MPs were asked to lobby male colleagues for support of the Child Rights Bill |
| Inviting Male MPs to See Broader Value | “We want men and women to work together in making society better.” — Rosy Kanu |
Conclusion
Female MPs and the Female Parliamentary Caucus influence gender-related legislation by:
Framing bills as national priorities rather than gender-specific concerns.
Mobilizing female MPs early to be well-prepared for plenary debates where they speak to male colleagues.
Directly lobbying male MPs behind the scenes before debates.
Engaging high-profile figures and cross-party supporters to build momentum.
Using both data and personal narratives to appeal to male MPs’ sense of societal responsibility.