Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs has trained 600 women in six targeted communities (Lakka, Conakry-Dee, Tombo, Hamilton, Shenge and Chepo in Turtle Island) on climate change risk, costs and benefit of different adaptation options, gender and climate change.

This training is aimed to empower women and provide them with unique job opportunities in the tourism sector and also increased coastal communities’ resilience on climate change.

In its women in tourism programme, the Ministry with support from the World Bank, Sierra Leone Economic Diversification project (SLEDP) has launched the “Women in Tourism Entrepreneurship and handicraft which will be done by Azelia and Madam Wokie respectively.

Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Memunatu Pratt said she has made tremendous strides in positioning the sector. Key among the gains made under her leadership is the empowerment of women in tourism and capacitating them with innovative and alternative livelihood skills.

She said she is pioneering a team that is led by strong and resilient women at the helm of affairs at the various agencies of the Ministry, a landmark that is not only changing the tourism narrative but also projecting women at the forefront of its activities.

Joining the rest of the world in celebrating women and their pivotal role in nation building and economic development, the Ministry of Tourism used the day to highlight the successes achieved in empowering women in the sector.

Since 2018, the Ministry has succeeded in developing the entrepreneurship skills of over 2,000 women in coastal communities and also assisted them with start-up kits.

Many of these women are now in the tourism value chain and occupied the centre stage in tourism jobs and businesses.