By Sallieu S. Kanu
Sierra Leone — August 26, 2025: In a transformative step toward gender equity and sustainable development, Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS), has officially launched the 2024 Women’s Empowerment and Nutrition Survey (WENS) Report and its anonymized microdata—a first-of-its-kind national dataset that links women’s empowerment directly to food security outcomes.
Held at New Sella Sport, King Harman Road, the launch event drew senior government officials, UN agencies, civil society leaders, and development partners, all united by a shared mission: to use data as a catalyst for change.
Deputy Statistician-General Lansana Kpewolo Kanneh underscored the report’s strategic importance, noting that it aligns with Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP 2024–2030). The WENS report offers a granular view of how women’s roles in agriculture influence household nutrition, economic resilience, and national development.
“This report links women’s roles in agriculture directly to household food security and nutrition—key to achieving our development goals,” Kanneh stated.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Tenema Theresa Dick, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, called the report a “wake-up call” for policymakers and institutions.
“Change starts from data—not just numbers, but the real stories of women’s resilience and struggle,” she said.
Key findings from the WENS 2024 report include:
- High participation of women in agriculture, but limited decision-making power
- Over 50% of women lack control over household finances
- Persistent barriers to land ownership due to traditional norms
- Significant gaps in leadership, financial inclusion, and nutritional autonomy
The survey was conducted under the 50×2030 Initiative, a global partnership led by the World Bank, FAO, and IFAD. It utilized cutting-edge tools like the Women’s Empowerment Metric for National Statistical Systems (WEMNS) and the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) module, developed by IFPRI and FAO. Stats SL deployed mostly female enumerators to ensure privacy and authenticity in responses.
The anonymized microdata is now publicly available to researchers, policymakers, and development organizations, offering a robust foundation for gender-responsive planning and programming. The Deputy Minister hailed the release as: “A powerful tool to shape a future where Sierra Leonean women are not only feeding the nation but also leading it.”