Women’s Leadership is Born in Grima
Written by Bernadette Mustapha & Lahai Conteh
As is typical in Sierra Leone, Grima’s leadership was restricted to men from traditional ruling families; women held just two leadership positions in 2015 when the community started working with OneVillage Partners. Women were not allowed at certain community meetings and they were excluded from decision making. The notion of women as leaders was not a part of Grima’s culture. Most men, especially the
leaders, believed that allowing women to participate in decision-making wouldn’t result in any positive contributions. They believed that women should focus on raising children and domestic duties while men should focus on leadership. This attitude significantly impacted the women’s behavior. They rarely attended community meetings or development activities and were confined to household work.
Women weren’t the only alienated community members. The village youth resented the leaders’ biased judgements in court cases; they often prioritized personal relationships rather than the facts of the case. As a result, the young people, like the women, stayed away from community events. “Due to the ways we were handling cases involving youth they were not attending meetings or participating in any community work,” acknowledged Sheku Brima, a male community leader.
OneVillage Partners’ training on inclusive leadership was a radically new concept for Grima. The notion of involving everyone in decision making, regardless of age, class, gender, or economic status, was the polar opposite of the community’s previous method of decision making. However, the new approach resonated loud and clear with the women of Grima. They were inspired by OneVillage Partner’s message and decided to do an about face. They started to attend meetings on a regular basis where they bravely spoke up and voiced their opinions. They began to take part in community development activities and played a unique role in arbitrating domestic disputes without the authorities’ involvement. The women’s change in behavior was noted by the male leaders. Sheku Brima explained, “we never thought involving more women in our leadership structure could help community development until we saw that their involvement had created great impact in our community.” Due to the demonstrated commitment of women to OneVillage Partners’ projects, leaders began to consider including them in formal leadership roles.
Despite the shift in thinking, the process of incorporating women into positions of authority took time. Sheku Brima and his co-leaders deliberated for three months about the idea. Leaders were concerned that women had resentments about their previous treatment and some men thought the women wouldn’t want the positions. Others continued to hold on to the notion that there simply wasn’t any value in bringing in women, that they had nothing to contribute to community leadership. But the new awareness of inclusive leadership prevailed. Minds changed and the male leaders decided to conduct an election that would be exclusively for women candidates. Four women were elected to the positions of Women’s Youth Leader, Deputy Women’s Youth Leader, Quarter Head and Tribal Authority.
Sheku’s wife, who had been actively involved in community projects, was elected as a Quarter Head. She and the other newly elected women took their responsibility seriously and began advocating in force. They helped mobilize local materials, collecting stones and other items needed to construct latrines and a harvest storage facility. They planned and conducted meetings to further mobilize women and youth. They continued to resolve community conflicts and individual grievances, reducing the number of court cases that required outside authorities. “The birth of women’s leadership in Grima has strengthened our feelings of representation, unity, and investment in community development,” said Mamie Kemoh, who was elected as the Women’s Youth Leader. “Women should stop taking the back seat and serve as a strong front wheel for the development of our community.”
Of course there were obstacles for the new leaders. Some women lacked confidence and were timid about leading meetings. Others found it difficult to balance leadership duties with family responsibilities. Still others struggled to advocate for their views to be included in major decisions. Finally, there was the stubborn cadre of men who opposed women in leadership altogether. Through collaboration and problem solving with male leaders, the women persevered, and took on even more responsibilities. They started representing Grima at chiefdom development meetings and reporting back to the community. They also began assisting with the collection of local taxes. “The women we elected are driving our community towards development,” said Sheku Brima. “They provide advice to fellow leaders and community members and they’ve successfully engaged the young people.”
Today Grima has an entirely new leadership model. Women, youth, and community members outside of ruling families are now included in almost every major decision. There is a cohesive leadership system in place and the entire community is working together toward their common goals. The youth now listen and work with leaders because of the women leader’s collaborative approach. Leaders have seen the benefits of women’s inclusion into community leadership and have started to adopt the culture of broader community consultation. This new leadership model has contributed to peace and rapid development in the community.