FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 14 October 2024 – The Ministry of Youth Affairs and UNFPA have today embarked on a series of regional capacity-building workshops for young women-led groups across the country, as part of their joint Innovation Initiative for Young Women Leading Change. Launched by the Minister of Youth Affairs and the UNFPA Country Representative on International Youth Day, 12th August, the initiative aims to enhance young women’s leadership and harness their creativity, energy and entrepreneurial spirit to drive positive change to improve the lives of women and young people.
UNFPA and the Ministry are convening four regional workshops for the 73 groups that have been shortlisted through the first round of the innovation challenge.The workshops provide an opportunity for participants to further develop their innovative ideas and solutions, strengthen their leadership and pitching skills, and build supportive networks with other young-women led groups across districts.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, the Minister of Youth Affairs, Orman Bangura, underscored the importance of the initiative, stating that “this innovation challenge presents a significant opportunity for young women to take action and lead initiatives that tackle the challenges within their communities.” He expressed a strong commitment to empowering young women to spearhead programme implementation, asserting that “women are best positioned to solve the problems that affect them,” and emphasized to the participants that “by sharing your ideas and experiences, you can inspire others and build a culture of support,” urging everyone present to embrace their potential as change-makers in society.
Nadia Rasheed, UNFPA Country Representative, stressed the importance of empowering young women, stating that the innovation challenge “provides a platform for young women to take the lead and create lasting solutions to the challenges in their communities.” She highlighted the inclusivity and accessibility of the initiative, which encouraged broad participation to accommodate diverse needs including for young women from marginalized communities. Ms. Rasheed congratulated the participants for successfully reaching the second stage of the competition, and emphasized that no matter the final outcome of the challenge, they are all winners who will make a difference through their commitment to lead positive change and improve lives in their communities.
The innovation challenge received 256 proposals, covering all 16 districts of Sierra Leone, to tackle pressing issues affecting youth, including gender-based violence, child marriage, teenage pregnancy, female genital mutilation, and drug and substance abuse, among others. The solutions proposed range from developing a mobile app to support survivors of gender-based violence from a Freetown-based group, to empowering young women in cassava farming through training and mentorship in Falaba district.
Speaking at the conclusion of the first day of the workshop, Sedia Boitina Kamoh, who leads an initiative called FemmeTech SL, expressed "today's sessions were exceptional. I gained insights into both financial and human resource management, and I now have a clearer understanding of social change systems and pitching ideas. This knowledge will help me not just in this competition, but in future projects too."
The final 25 winning groups will each receive NLE 25,000 to implement their innovative projects, with the winners to be announced on 1st November, Africa Youth Day. The winners will also benefit from mentoring and capacity building support over a period of one year.
Media Contacts: Islander Kabia | Communications Unit| UNFPA Sierra Leone | ikabia@unfpa.org
