July 12, 2017
Maude Peacock, President of Women’s Forum
The Women’s Forum, the National Women’s Umbrella Organization, and Partners have commended President Koroma for the enactment into Law the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2017, providing for citizenship by birth to be granted through the mother whether the birth happens inside or outside of Sierra Leone.
“We extend our deep thanks and appreciation to His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, Cabinet Ministers, Honourable Members of Parliament for finally removing the Gender Bias in the Citizenship laws of Sierra Leone on the 5th July 2017 when Parliament enacted into Law the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2017, providing for citizenship by birth to be granted through the mother whether the birth happens inside or outside of Sierra Leone,” they said.
“This gives the right to Sierra Leonean women, who have children with foreigner fathers, for all such children to become Sierra Leoneans.”
They noted that the amendment of the law has been advocated for in all our positions papers to the Constitutional Review Committee and that, “Now that our dreams have become reality, we the women and the people of Sierra Leone are extremely grateful.
“Your Excellency, under your Gender Responsive Leadership, we the women of Sierra Leone have enjoyed unprecedented levels of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Out of the recently five confirmed Judges of the High Court, three are women. As we congratulate them, we once again thank His Excellency President Koroma for nominating women to serve in high offices of the state.”