As the local council election is drawing nearer there have been cries every where for symbols, and most of these cries come from women who say they are discriminated against by various political parties.
At a press conference yesterday in Freetown Herritte Turay president of the 50/50 group, a non governmental organisation fighting for equal representation of women in parliament, said most women candidates vying for symbols for the local council elections had been denied symbols and that they were popular in their localities.
She disclosed that this was another period for the organisation and so they were going to talk with NEC so that they provide a level playing field for these women candidates who wanted to go independent.
Mrs Turay stated that they had been working very hard for women to take up positions of decision and also for them to be given party symbols for the local government elections.
The president stated that before the elections, most of the political parties promised to give women 30% “but this promise has been broken.”
The national coordinator, Iysh Josia in her statement, said if democracy was to work, then both sexes should be involved in decision making because if democracy failed the men and women would suffer equally.
She added that women could do better in their communities and so they should enjoy participation.
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