The “Media Gender-Equality Policy” insists on the development of gender balance in work environments and condemns all cases of harassment in newsrooms, online and by third parties. It also promotes the implementation of a monitoring program to guarantee that all rights in the workplace are respected. 

The new set of rules suggests that all journalists must enjoy equal access to resources, and that women must form at least 30% of the executive members in SLAJ’s board. Attention is also given to equal opportunities of assignments, promotions and allowances. Safety measures and maternity/paternity leaves should be granted to all journalists and discrimination must be punished at all costs, the policy states. 

Williette James, the SLAJ representative at IFJ Gender Council, warns that the policy “will prove greatly advantageous to all journalists, media institutions and partners, provided all stakeholders put premium on its implementation within the media institutions in Sierra Leone.”

The president of SLAJ, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, says: "At our recent Annual General Meeting 2023 held in Kenema City we agreed to summon a special  meeting to discuss the policy further and come up with suggestions for partnerships and implementation proposals. We also agreed to hold a meeting with media stakeholders and media owners to put together our implementation strategy."

Dowload the policy here.