Gender, Agriculture Ministries Partner to Advance Inclusive Food Systems

The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MoGCA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen gender equality, social inclusion and protection within Sierra Leone’s food systems under the Food System Resilience Project (FSRP).

Signed in Freetown, the agreement seeks to ensure that gender considerations are integrated into programmes aimed at strengthening food systems and building community resilience. The partnership places particular emphasis on protecting vulnerable groups from gender-based violence (GBV), Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), and Sexual Harassment (SH).

The Gender Minister described the agreement as a strategic commitment to inclusive national development, noting that women and children play key roles in food production, distribution and household nutrition but often face greater risks of poverty, exclusion and violence.

Under the MoU, MoGCA will provide technical leadership in gender analysis, capacity building, safeguarding and community engagement, while supporting institutional mechanisms to prevent and respond to GBV, SEA and sexual harassment in FSRP-related activities.

The collaboration is also expected to promote more equitable access to resources, opportunities and services, particularly for groups facing barriers to participation in food-system activities.

The agreement reinforces Sierra Leone’s commitments under the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act 2022 and the national gender policy, while aligning with SDGs 2, 5 and 16, as well as international commitments under CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol.

The partnership marks a new phase of inter-ministerial collaboration, with the two ministries seeking to build more resilient food systems while ensuring that women, men, girls and boys can participate and benefit more equitably, safely and inclusively across Sierra Leonean communities.

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