RSLAF & UN Women-SL Sign Partnership To Boost Armed Forces Women
By Sahr Ibrahim Komba
A new partnership between the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and UN Women Sierra Leone was signed to significantly enhance the participation and capacity of uniformed women in United Nations peacekeeping operations. In a press release dated 7th July 2025, RSLAF and UN Women Sierra Leone signed the partnership to empower women in uniform. The initiative, supported by the Elsie Initiative Fund for Uniformed Women in Peace Operations (EIF), will implement a two-year project aimed at breaking long-standing barriers to gender equality within the country’s military structure.
The project was built on the findings of a 2022 barrier assessment conducted by the RSLAF, also backed by the EIF, which highlighted critical challenges facing women in uniform. Among the issues identified were limited access to training opportunities, the absence of women in senior leadership roles, inadequate healthcare services, and insufficient mechanisms for reporting harassment and misconduct.
The new project will include a comprehensive review of RSLAF’s gender mainstreaming policies, substantial improvements to the Peace Mission Training Centre, targeted capacity building and career development for female personnel, and strengthened healthcare systems particularly in addressing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and ensuring effective reporting mechanisms.
The overarching goal is to increase the number of Sierra Leonean women eligible for deployment in UN peace operations. At present, women constitute 13 per cent of RSLAF’s total uniformed personnel, although they make up 46 per cent of those deployed in current peacekeeping missions. These include operations in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), Lebanon (UNIFIL), South Sudan (UNMISS), Western Sahara (MINURSO), and Abyei (UNISFA).
The project will also support the global Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy (UGPS), which sets targets for women’s participation in UN peacekeeping aiming for at least 25 percent representation among Staff Officers and Military Experts on Mission, and 15 percent among contingent troops by 2028.
RSLAF Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Amara Idara Bangura, described the initiative as a major step forward for women in the armed forces.
“This project is cardinal to empowering women in uniform. It will enable Sierra Leone to maintain double-digit gender figures and empower female personnel to reach the highest cloud of their desire, exposing them to the dynamics of peacekeeping,” he said.
UN Women’s Head of Office in Sierra Leone, Setcheme Jeronime Mongbo, welcomed the collaboration as a turning point for gender equality in peace operations.
“This project marks a critical step in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, strengthening leadership, and ensuring that women in uniform have the tools, voice, and support they need to thrive and lead,” Mongbo stated.
The Elsie Initiative Fund is the only global fund exclusively dedicated to removing barriers to women’s full and meaningful participation in UN peacekeeping. Hosted by UN Women, it supports efforts in security sector reform and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda through financial assistance and incentives. The Fund is supported by international donors including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom.
Since its launch, the EIF has awarded nearly US$18 million to 23 projects across 15 countries, enabling policy development, institutional reform, and pilot activities aimed at improving conditions for uniformed women peacekeepers.
UN Women is the United Nations entity focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The organisation plays a central role in setting international standards, supporting governments in implementation, and coordinating the UN system’s efforts toward achieving equality for women and girls worldwide.
