Leadership Accelerator Programme Empowers Women Media Professionals

The Leadership Accelerator Programme for Women Media Professionals has brought together young women from across Sierra Leone for a two-day workshop aimed at strengthening women’s leadership and empowerment in the media and wider society.

The in-person workshop was held in Freetown from September 7–8, 2026, as part of the programme’s ongoing efforts to equip young women media professionals with the skills and capacity to take on leadership roles and contribute more meaningfully to their profession and society.

The programme has, over the past several years, trained young women from all districts of Sierra Leone, creating opportunities for women media professionals nationwide to develop their leadership potential.

The initiative is funded by the European Union in Sierra Leone in partnership with BBC Media Action Sierra Leone and the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).

The two-day engagement focused on promoting women’s leadership and empowerment, particularly the role women can play in shaping the media sector and contributing to wider social development.

The programme reflects growing recognition of women’s empowerment as an important driver of social, political and economic development. The European Union has continued to advocate for women’s empowerment in Africa, including Sierra Leone, as a pathway to positive societal transformation.

In Sierra Leone, strengthening women’s leadership in the media is considered particularly important because media professionals play a key role in informing the public, shaping national conversations and contributing to development.

Through leadership development opportunities, the Leadership Accelerator Programme seeks to strengthen young women media professionals’ capacity to participate in decision-making and assume greater responsibilities within the industry.

The September 7–8 workshop forms part of the programme’s continued efforts to support women media professionals across Sierra Leone and promote greater female leadership and empowerment within the media sector and beyond.