Zainab Sheriff Bangura's political approach

"Women will soon have political power. Woman suffrage and permanent peace will go together. When a country is in a state of mind to grant the vote to its women, it is a sign that that country is ripe for permanent peace. Women don’t feel as men do about war. They are the mothers of the race. Men think of the economic results, women think of the grief and pain."__Dr. Aletta Jacobs,(1851-1929) Holland.

Zainab Sheriff Bangura’s political approach combines both a woman’s aptitude to factor in grief and pain that could stem from a policy deficit and an unparalleled commitment to economic empowerment which focuses on lifting the masses out of poverty. This is clearly evidenced by her continuing self-help community projects in Lunsar, Port Loko district, District. The 21st Century woman’s touch, look no further!

In line with her beliefs and commitment to help her people, Zainab Sheriff Bangura wishes to dedicate her wealth of work experience and qualifications, including years of continuing self-help projects, to the service of her people. For this reason, she is still vying to be the vibrant female voice of the same Consistency 050 that was once held by another vibrant woman.

Throughout his almost ten year reign, President Koroma has done tremendously well in empowering women to take on leadership roles in our nation, Sierra Leone. From having the highest number of female cabinet ministers in the history of Sierra Leone, to scoring a 30% quota for female Parliamentarian representation in Tonkolili District, the resilience of President Koroma to empower women is unrivalled in Sierra Leone. Women empowerment is a tenet carefully woven into our President’s Agenda for Change and it is thus ongoing.

President Koroma, as Leader and Chairman of the most popular political party in Sierra Leone, the indomitable All Peoples Congress (APC), ends his journey of long dedicated service to the people of Sierra Leone in March next year. In cementing his unrivalled strides in empowering women, many do wish that indeed his signoff legacy should be to increase the number of women policy-makers in our House of Parliament. Zainab Sheriff Bangura will prove both credible and influential in following through on policy forging and implementation where afforded the opportunity.

Zainab Sheriff Bangura has also remained true to the core values that bind the APC Party, and by extension her native Lunsar; values which she has engaged in her community projects in Lunsar. She has for the past years now showed her commitment in protecting the legacy of President Koroma amongst indigenes of Lunsar and its environ communities.

Born and raised in Lunsar, she attended the Our Lady of Guadalupe from primary through to secondary education, starting from class one to form five. Zainab Sheriff Bangura holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and a Master’s degree in Refugee and Development Studies, having furthered her education in the United Kingdom. She also has post graduate qualifications in Community Development, Social Housing, Counselling, Mentoring. In the UK, she was into Advocacy, Human Rights, Women’s Rights, and Social Housing, wherein she held various senior administrative positions both in the local authority and private sectors.

Since her relocation back to Sierra Leone in 2008, she has been very much involved in her community in Lunsar and its periphery, especially in youth activities and women’s empowerment initiatives.

Zainab Sheriff Bangura’s qualifications and ensuing experience together with her winsome personable disposition have enabled her to work assiduously with others on various synergies delivering on the President’s Agenda for Prosperity, particularly so during the Ebola outbreak which ravaged our nation - with Port Loko District being her area of focus at the time. Her passion for humanity and commitment to economic progression puts her in good stead for a strategic position in leadership.

Just a quick recap, Zainab Sheriff Bangura contested for the APC ticket in the recent Parliamentary bye-election that was held in Lunsar, Constituency 050, but was denied the APC symbol. However, due to her passion to serve her people in Lunsar and by extension the APC Party, she still believes she has a role to play in her community’s history as policy-maker imminently.