Isata Mahoi is transforming gender policy, protecting children, and challenging harmful traditions in Sierra Leone.
Dr. Isata Mahoi, Sierra Leone’s current Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, is leading one of the most significant shifts in gender policy in the country. With over two decades of experience spanning development economics, social policy, gender advocacy, and peacebuilding, she is now channelling her expertise into transformative legislative reforms and social change.
Appointed in 2023, Mahoi quickly moved to push through landmark legislation. She led the passage of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act in 2022, which mandates a minimum of 30% representation of women in Parliament, local councils, cabinet positions, and senior government roles. It also extended maternity leave from 12 to 14 weeks and outlawed workplace discrimination and sexual harassment.
In 2024, she spearheaded two more historic laws: the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and the Child Rights Bill. The child marriage law, which criminalises marriage for anyone under 18, imposes penalties of up to 15 years in prison or heavy fines. The new Child Rights Bill replaced the outdated 2007 Act, strengthening legal protections for children across the country.
Beyond legislation, Mahoi is tackling gender-based violence (GBV) through a mix of policy, infrastructure, and collaboration. With her leadership, the Ministry launched Sierra Leone’s 116 GBV hotline and expanded One Stop Centres in seven districts where survivors can access healthcare, counselling, legal aid, and shelter. These efforts are bolstered by the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS+), which helps track and improve national response capacity. She also supports the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative and campaigns like “Hands Off Our Girls,” which target sexual violence and raise public awareness.
At the community level, Isata Mahoi is confronting harmful cultural practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM). Her approach involves direct engagement with over 20,000 traditional and religious leaders across Sierra Leone. She is creating cultural shifts to support the legal reforms by facilitating dialogue and building consensus at the grassroots level.
Isata Mahoi has openly challenged the normalisation of FGM, linking it to early marriage and long-term health and psychological harm. Her work has brought national and international attention to the need for more comprehensive laws addressing FGM, which still has an 83% prevalence rate among women aged 15–49.
A trained economist, Mahoi earned a master’s degree in Development Economics from the University of Rome and a PhD in Economic Policy from the Catholic University of Milan. Before entering government, she lectured at the University of Makeni and the University of Sierra Leone’s IPAM, teaching research methods, econometrics, and public sector development. She also collaborated with the World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, UN Women, and other organisations on gender and social inclusion. As National Network Coordinator of WANEP Sierra Leone, she played a key role in peacebuilding and conflict prevention.
Her vision is to build a Sierra Leone where women and children are fully protected, empowered, and represented at every level of decision-making.
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