Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs of Sierra Leone, Dr Isata Mahoi, visited Reykjavík on 12 November and held talks with the Speaker of the Icelandic Parliament, Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir.
The meeting took place in the Speaker’s office. Ms Sveinbjarnardóttir welcomed Dr Mahoi and praised the strong relationship between Iceland and Sierra Leone. She also commended Sierra Leone for its developments in gender equality.
Dr Mahoi spoke about Sierra Leone’s transformation after the conflict and the government’s commitment to inclusive governance, as outlined in its Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024-2030). She highlighted the country’s “Big Five Game Changers”, especially the “Feed Salone” initiative and human capital development as central to the agenda.
She told the Speaker that Iceland could be an inspiring model for women’s progress. She pointed to recent laws in Sierra Leone — the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, the Public Elections Act, and the Political Parties Regulation Commission Act — which aim to secure at least 30% representation of women in governance.
In response, Ms Sveinbjarnardóttir reiterated Iceland’s commitment to its development assistance. “We are a small country but very rich,” she said, reflecting on Iceland’s fifty-year push for gender equality and the importance of education in empowering women.
The two officials expressed hope for continued cooperation, particularly in areas of women’s empowerment, education and fisheries sector capacity building with support from agencies like UNFPA and UN Women.
