In 2017, as a mudslide buried hundreds of homes outside Freetown, Sierra Leone, women were the first to dig survivors out and the last to receive help. This stark reality confronts those of us working to empower marginalized communities in Sierra Leone every day.
Severe heat, floods, landslides, and food insecurity all place a heavier burden on women, particularly those responsible for supporting their households.
The New York Times recently highlighted Africa’s first “heat officer” Eugenia Kargbo, who aims to plant a million trees across Freetown. While this bold and important initiative deserves recognition, we also need to focus on the policies behind the scenes. Tree planting, on its own, cannot tackle the long-standing inequalities that have left women vulnerable well before any storm ever strikes.
About the author
Alimatu Dimonekene
Alimatu Dimonekene is a human rights and gender advocate with over 30 years of experience addressing gender-based violence, climate resilience, and women’s empowerment in Sierra Leone. She works with grassroots communities and international partners to highlight how climate change disproportionately affects women and to advance gender-responsive policies in disaster response. She was awarded an MBE, or member of the Order of the British Empire, in 2023.
