by Suricia Yatiana Esther Conteh I could not help but glance around the room in awe. The chuckles, gasps, whispers, and scattered laughter warmed my heart. We were all seated in a makeshift hall, without boundaries on our age, tribe, gender, economic status or intellectual abilities. We were all there…

Authored and edited by Purposeful team members I grew up in a small village in the Eastern part of Sierra Leone. Here, the Bondo society — the female secret society where girls and women undergo Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) — was regarded as a rite of passage for girls, signifying…

by Isha Morgan Conteh, Jugu Maureen Lawson and Melvina Conton “We show sisterhood by helping each other. If one of us is in trouble, maybe at home, and they tell us, we will look for ways to help.” Elizabeth, 17, Moyamba “Sisterhood is coming together as friends and sharing love…

by Hickmatu Leigh It all began on an ordinary day in Freetown, Sierra Leone. I was with friends at a fast food restaurant, going about my usual business. Little did I know, a single link shared with me would set the wheels of change in motion. …

A Testament of Revolutionary Hope and Sisterhood at the 10th Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights Over a year has passed since the 10th ACSHR, yet the conversations and exchanges I experienced at that conference continue to echo in my mind. The joy, camaraderie, and optimism I felt back then still resonate powerfully. In June 2022, I had the unique opportunity to attend the 10th Africa…

By Massah Esther Nyally Bockarie I vividly recall a conversation with a work friend about our desire to travel the world — she wanted and still wants to visit the Maldives or will settle for Cape Verde. I, on the other hand, had a strong desire to visit all countries…

Today, The Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP) with the Institute for Human Rights and Development Africa (IHRDA), and Purposeful announce the filing of two landmark legal cases in the effort to end Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in Sierra Leone — one in the domestic courts of Sierra Leone and the…

by Kaata Minah “Attending the recent African Feminism Conference was nothing short of a profound transformational journey, making me realise the collective power of African feminisms and the strength that lies in our shared narratives and struggles.” (Kaata Minah Feminist Dictionary, 2023). Embracing the Chaos and Refusal Arriving at Rhodes University, South Africa, on the…

New Law Should Require Greater Inclusion of Pregnant Girls, Young Mothers The Sierra Leone government should prioritize the views and experiences of girls to advance its education reforms, Human Rights Watch and Purposeful said in a report released today. …