[{"bbox": [83, 104, 1147, 160], "category": "Text", "text": "underlined in the EU Road Map for engagement with Civil Society and the Country Level Implementation Plan towards Gender Equality adopted in 2021."}, {"bbox": [81, 183, 1147, 584], "category": "Text", "text": "**Women's groups:** whilst it is clear that women do not participate in governance and political process at the same rate as men do, they do play a strong role in public life in other ways. During the civil war and after, women have been crucial to peacebuilding, reconciliation, human rights and other areas of work critical to the country's stability. Over the years, women have competed for traditional leadership roles, becoming chiefs and paramount chiefs, although they make up a small minority of these positions. Sierra Leone enjoys now a number of influential women's groups / coalitions of CSOs advocating for gender equality and women participation in political processes both at national and community level. Amongst these: the *50/50 Coalition*, a formal network of women advocates/MPs advocating for legal reforms (notably the introduction of an electoral quota system) and increased women participation in political process and decision making; and the *Eminent Women Peace Mediators Sierra Leone (EWPSL)* with a long standing history of political mediation and conflict preventions/mitigation. The action will seek to engage such organisations and support their action as well as of other formal/informal women and youth associations, as vehicle to craft and disseminate peace messages, promote political dialogue and social cohesion, and implementation of key electoral observers missions' recommendations. The action will also advocate for the elimination of harmful traditional practices as it is demonstrated that Female Genital Mutilations are promoted by political leaders to galvanise supporters as the country draws closer to elections."}, {"bbox": [83, 607, 1147, 717], "category": "Text", "text": "**Faith-groups and religious leaders:** in a country praised for its exceptional religious tolerance, religious leaders and inter-faith groups such as the *Inter Religious Council* play a pivotal role in civic education/conflict prevention and mitigation. The action will seek to engage with them in the promotion of peace-building messages and implementation of civic education campaigns and mediation activities."}, {"bbox": [81, 740, 1147, 1194], "category": "Text", "text": "**Media:** the media play an indispensable role in the proper functioning of a democracy. They can play a \"watchdog\" role by unfettered scrutiny and discussion of the successes and failures of candidates, governments, and electoral management bodies, the media can inform the public of how effectively they have performed and help to hold them to account. The media also have other roles in enabling full public participation in elections by educating voters on how to exercise their democratic rights; by reporting on the development of an election campaign; by providing a platform for the political parties and candidates to communicate their message to the electorate; by providing a platform for the public to communicate their concerns, opinions, and needs, to the parties/candidates, the EMB, the government, and to other voters, and to interact on these issues; by allowing the parties and candidates to debate with each other; by reporting results and monitoring vote counting; by scrutinising the electoral process itself, including electoral management, in order to evaluate the fairness of the process, its efficiency, and its probity; by providing information that, as far as possible, avoids inflammatory language, helping to prevent election-related violence. The media are not the sole source of information for voters, but in a world dominated by mass communications, it is increasingly the media that determine the political agenda, even in a less technologically developed country such as Sierra Leone. Yet the media can also play a detrimental role and increase tension by spreading false allegations and inflammatory language. In a context where print and broadcast media in Sierra Leone is relatively weak, constraint by lack of technical and financial resources, marked by low editorial and technical skills and questionable integrity it becomes all the more critical to promote professional journalism and media monitoring and regulation."}, {"bbox": [83, 1217, 1147, 1301], "category": "Text", "text": "The repeal of the seditious label law and adoption of the IMC Act in 2020 have strengthened the independence, mandate and authority of the **Independent Media Commission (IMC)** and increased the opportunity for both media advocacy and regulation."}, {"bbox": [81, 1324, 1147, 1565], "category": "Text", "text": "The action will seek to strengthen IMC monitoring capacity and provide support to independent media as transparency/watchdog; campaign platform; open forum for debate and discussion/public voice and as public educator. It will seek to support independent media and broadcasters in effectively apply knowledge to engage and collaborate in the discourse on electoral reforms in a non-partisan, informed and effective way, to demand accountability from policymakers and electoral management bodies, and support voters education. Special attention will be given to radio broadcasters and community radio stations (e.g. *Independent Radio Network*). It will seek to support the *Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ)* and other media advocacy groups to address the threats posed by the use of the digital information space, to develop initiatives to address disinformation and promote civil use of the digital information space among politicians and voters."}, {"bbox": [1040, 1689, 1159, 1714], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 11 of 33"}]