Sierra Leone to Host Young African Women Congress 2023 for Empowerment & Development

The Young African Women Congress Network and the government of Sierra Leone have partnered to host the Young African Women Congress 2023 Annual Continental Convocation, marking a significant step towards the empowerment of women and sustainable development. At the State House in Freetown on August 18, 2023, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed. The parties engaged used the occasion to update the media on their strategies for organising a successful congress in the West African nation.

The First Lady of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio, and the government were commended for their admirable dedication to women's empowerment and the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals by Mr. Daniel Osei Tuffuor, the founder and executive chairperson of the Young African Women Congress Network. During the press conference, he emphasised how the First Lady's "#HandsOffOurGirls" campaign has significantly reduced rape, defilement, adolescent pregnancy, child marriage, and other crimes against women and girls in Sierra Leone. He voiced the opinion that holding the global gathering in Sierra Leone will draw even more attention to the nation's women objectives.

The First Lady of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, responded by expressing her delight for the collaboration and the impending event. She emphasised that Sierra Leone's dedication to gender equality, women's empowerment, and sustainable development is well aligned with hosting the Young African Women Congress 2023 Annual Continental Convocation.

The event will be hosted at the famous Freetown International Conference Centre (Bintumani) in Aberdeen, Freetown, Sierra Leone, from November 20 to 24, 2023. Around 800 people are anticipated to attend the convocation, among them young women from different African countries, well-known leaders, educators, activists, legislators, artists, entrepreneurs, and business executives. The convocation intends to provide a venue for young African women to meet, exchange ideas, and have meaningful conversations about leadership and women on the continent.

The conference will put a special emphasis on empowering young women and cultivating their roles as change-makers within African cultures, guided by the ideals of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The schedule will include panel discussions, seminars, networking opportunities, and interactive forums to provide attendees a fully immersive experience.

The convocation will also include a number of side events and pre-Congress activities, such as exhibitions, a Sierra Leone Cultural Day, and a gathering for ambitious business executives looking to invest in Sierra Leone and surrounding nations called the Business and Investment Cocktail. These interactions will promote information exchange, skill building, and teamwork among participants, enabling them to take advantage of opportunities and address issues in leadership and development within their particular communities.

Young women of African ancestry living in Africa and the diaspora join together to form the Young African Women Congress Network, a vibrant group committed to empowering young women of African descent and preparing them to make an impact as leaders and generators of development on the continent.