Cover Story
for their weekly meeting she
seemed to be surrounded
by professionals. There was
friendly banter but the tone of
respect was there.
As the youngest in her team,
she stands out next to her
colleagues. She is not what
we are used to seeing at the
top level of government in
Sierra Leone. Even with a
regime that has repeatedly
said that it is committed to
a 30% quota for women in
government, there are less
women in governance today
than after the 2007 elections.
The number of women in
parliament was halved after
the last vote in November.
This makes Miatta one of the
few women in Sierra Leone
with the power to affect and
direct change on a national
level.
In the current cabinet, Miatta
is just one of two female
ministers. The other, the
Minister of Local Affairs, is
a politician. Miatta says that
while they have yet to build
a rapport she hopes that
together they may move the
women’s agenda to the fore.
36 GOWOMAN SEPTEMBER|2013
But for now she says her
focus is to deliver. She serves
at the President’s request and
she is committed to the visi