More than 150 young women from across the country convened on Saturday, November 8, at Limkokwing University in Freetown for the first-ever EmpowerHer+ Summit. Themed “Clarity, Courage, and Confidence: From Wellness to Empowering Women, Shaping Futures,” the event focused on leadership, mental wellness, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
The summit featured a keynote address by Jane Kalweo, UNAIDS Country Director to Sierra Leone, who urged participants to take control of their health and futures. “Your health is your power. Your body is your right. And your future is yours to shape,” she told the audience. Kalweo emphasized the importance of HIV testing, access to PrEP, and family planning, while challenging harmful myths and calling for an end to stigma and gender-based violence.
Founder of EmpowerHer+, Janet Mumgbay Zizer, formerly of the Jansuccess Network, said the summit was a space for young women to rise as leaders and changemakers. “We gather to break myths that hold women back, to end stigma and discrimination, and to shape a future where women thrive and lead without limits,” she said.
Miss Sierra Leone, Lacheveh Davies, chaired the event and was joined by district queens from Kono and Bonthe. She described the summit as a convergence of “brilliant minds and passionate voices” and called for it to evolve into a national movement.
The day featured three panel discussions. The first, titled “The Busy Woman & Our Well-being,” explored burnout, boundaries, and redefining success. It featured engineer Trudy Morgan and lawyer Janisa Jalil-Momodu, moderated by media commentator Aminata Finda Massaquoi.
The second panel, moderated by the Founder Janet Mumgbay Zizer, focused on stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. Panelists included Broadcast journalist Ceceilia Alice Sesay and mental health and psychosocial chaplain Kenneth Jessey- Coker.
The final panel, “My Body, My Power,” addressed fertility, menstrual health, and digital misinformation. It was moderated by Miss Limkokwing, Grace Aliyah Bangura, with lawyer and media professional Adama Bai Conteh as the panelist.
Participants shared personal testimonies, particularly on overcoming stigma and accessing SRHR services. One attendee from Lungi, Nancy Mannah expressed gratitude, noting that such opportunities are rare in her community.
The summit also featured poetry performances aligned with the day’s themes from Kalma Marrah and Fatmata Haja Bah . It concluded with a collective call for young women to lead with clarity, courage, and confidence in shaping a healthier, more empowered future.
