Generally, women, youths and PwDs are sharply under-represented in the Sierra Leonean political landscape, as their participation in the process is impeded by many traditional, cultural and economic barriers. This made them vulnerable to misinformation and misled by ill-motivated people during elections. Some women are accustomed to concord with whatever is decided by men, whether harmful or misleading because they are economically and physically vulnerable to maintaining contrasting opinions. The majority of Sierra Leonean women are shying away from contesting for electable positions simply because they are groomed or even forced by the cultural norms to remain silent.

Nevertheless, the recently enacted “Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) Act 2022 is an opportunity which could be embedded into voter education to increase women’s participation in decision-making. The ordinary voters, especially women, need to know that it is now a law in Sierra Leone that policymakers mandatorily ensure that women makeup at least 30% of each of the civil service, councils, cabinet, ambassadorial posts, and elected members of parliament (Ref: 2022 Gender Act). They need to understand that their votes will not only be selecting favourite candidates but also increases female participation in decision-making at all levels. Likewise, for the youths, many of them don`t normally participate in politics as responsible role players because either they have less knowledge of the system or they simply don’t expect any direct benefit from it, as they are constantly referred by many as “the future leaders” who need to seat on the fence and wait until they get old. Even the eligibility criteria to contest for president (40 years of age) reduces the hope for young citizens to be active in politics. Similarly, PwDs are constantly segregated and marginalized by many due to their physical and social status. Some are even stigmatized and branded as witches. The high level of illiteracy also undermines peace election outcomes. According to records, more than 5 % of the votes cast at the last 2018 elections were invalidated due to incorrect voting. Some voters always regret having voted for the wrong candidates due to a lack of proper understanding of the ballot paper. Up to 16.5% simply didn’t show up at all at the poll. This shows that about 22% of the voter population was disenfranchised, mainly in rural areas. This is a huge number considering the importance of individual votes in decision-making to determine the future leadership of the country. Additionally, the district block PR system now introduced by ECSL is entirely new for many first-time voters as the system was last used in the country in 1996 at the pick of the war when most were not even born yet. It is, therefore, cogent for them to know how the system works and how the 30% female quota can come into play. As the country prepares to go to the poll in June 2023, the above tells that it is essential to conduct intensive voter education and sensitization, especially for first-time voters, youths, women and PwDs, in order to ensure that they properly understand the system, vote correctly and safely so that their voices would be counted in the decision-making to determine their next president.

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