By Claudia Redwood-Sawyerr
Presidential Adviser on Gender Affairs in the Office of the President, Madam Isata Jabbie Kabbah, has called for stronger community action to protect girls, promote their education and address gender-based violence.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s Civic Day Series in Koinadugu District on Tuesday, 3rd November 2026, Madam Kabbah emphasised the importance of educating girls, noting that the benefits extend beyond individual families to communities and the country as a whole.
She called on traditional leaders, religious authorities, parents and other community stakeholders to take responsibility for protecting girls and ensuring that harmful practices, including child marriage, are addressed.
Addressing the role of traditional authorities in tackling gender-based violence, Madam Kabbah called for the law to take its course against perpetrators of rape and physical abuse. She stressed: “Let the law deal with that. Properly.”
She urged Paramount Chiefs and other traditional authorities not to shield perpetrators or settle serious cases of abuse informally within communities. She also appealed to religious leaders to use their platforms to speak against rape, physical abuse and child marriage.
According to her, community leaders have an important role in shaping attitudes and ensuring that people understand their responsibilities under the law.
On women’s participation in governance, Madam Kabbah highlighted the importance of policies and legislative measures aimed at increasing women’s representation in decision-making institutions.
She referenced the 30 per cent quota for women’s representation and called for sustained commitment to ensuring that women have meaningful opportunities to participate in leadership.
She further noted that women’s representation should go beyond political party affiliations, stressing the importance of capable women being given opportunities to represent their communities and contribute to national development.
The Presidential Adviser also called for laws and policies relating to women and girls to be translated into local languages to make them more accessible to communities. She explained that public education was necessary to ensure that people understood these laws and made the protection of women and girls a shared responsibility.
Emphasising her commitment to the task at hand, Madam Kabbah told the audience “This now is my responsibility. This
is my task.” She also called on traditional and religious leaders to support efforts to educate communities and protect vulnerable groups.
Madam Kabbah encouraged parents to create safer environments for children, particularly young girls, and to support their education from an early age. She maintained that investing in girls’ education would contribute to building a generation better equipped to serve the country in different professional fields.
Her engagement formed part of MOICE’s Civic Day Series in Koinadugu, which provides a platform for government officials and citizens to discuss national issues, promote civic awareness and strengthen public participation in governance.