About Us
The Women on Mining and Extractives Sierra Leone (WoME-SL) was established in 2013 as an Advocacy Platform and Community level pressure group. It is involved in promoting advocacy on issues hindering the overall wellbeing of women and young people in some mining communities in Sierra Leone.
Due to the nature and context of the realities that women experienced on a daily basis in the mining communities in Sierra Leone, WoME-SL was later transformed into a National Women Led Organization comprising of women from different mining districts collectively work together to address the increasing challenges that these women and their communities face at local level within their mining communities.
Driven by passion, WoME-SL has been using different approaches such as advocacy, lobbying, information sharing, education and sensitization, capacity building, women leadership development, women economic empowerment through skills development and micro- finance, action-oriented research, strategic networking and collaboration to promote transparent, accountable, equitable and sustainable governance of natural resource extractions, especially as it relates to women and young people.
Where Do We work?
We work primarily in mining communities in Sierra Leone, specifically in various districts including Kono, Moyamba, Kenema, Bonthe, Portloko, and Tonkolili. Our main office is situated in Freetown, while we also operate regional offices in Kono, Kenema, and Portloko.
who do we work with?
We primarily work alongside women residing in mining communities across Sierra Leone. Our focus is on collaborating with these women, empowering them, and advocating for their rights within the challenging context of the mining sector. Currently, we work with close to 1000 women in small WoME groups in different mining communities across the country.
Esther F. Kandeh
Exective Director
Our Founder
Esther is the founder and Executive Director of WoME.
Her educational background is in Gender Studies, Project Management, and Development Studies, coupled with over 15 years of experience in the Development sector, has shaped her into an exceptional leader.
As a Sierra Leonean born in “Diamond-infested” Kono District, she has experienced child labor, environmental degradation and inequalities among women and men in distribution of resources etc. This drove her to establish WoME-SL; dedicated to combatting economic disparity, social marginalization, and the vulnerability of women in mining communities.
Beyond WoME, Esther serves as a board member in the Global Greengrants and is a member of the Kimberly Process. She is the founder of the Women’s Alliance on Natural Resources Governance in Sierra Leone (WANrg-SL) and the driving force behind “Make It Real,” an annual conference inspiring young girls to realize their full potential. Esther is an active participant in various national and international platforms dedicated to issues of natural resource governance and environmental sustainability.
Additionally, Esther is deeply committed to the protection of human rights, particularly advocating for women’s rights, contributing her efforts to ensure gender equality and empowerment in diverse spheres.