Applying Rwanda’s Post-Conflict Development Model to Sierra Leone: The Case of Gender Empowerment

Ibrahim Mohammad Sow

doi:10.63363/aijfr.2025.v06i06.2342

Applying Rwanda’s Post-Conflict Development Model to Sierra Leone: The Case of Gender Empowerment

Author(s)	Ibrahim Mohammad Sow
Country	Turkey
Abstract	This paper explores the extent to which Rwanda’s post-genocide development model can be adapted to Sierra Leone, paying particular attention to women’s empowerment as both a developmental goal and a mechanism for wider participation. The two countries were marked by catastrophic violence—the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda and Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war, that left governance systems fragile, economic activity paralyzed, and interpersonal trust largely destroyed. Although both faced devastation, Rwanda is celebrated for its rapid transformation, but Sierra Leone remains challenged by ineffective governance and systemic discrimination against women. Using a comparative analysis, this study identifies three pillars of Rwanda’s reconstruction model: embedding gender equality in legal frameworks, political reforms expanding women’s participation, and socio-economic programs integrating women into development agendas. In contrast, Sierra Leone’s gains are minimal, women suffer from political exclusion, land tenure discrimination, and exposed to poverty, violence, and practices such as female genital cutting. The study highlights several lessons that could be adapted elsewhere, including enshrined constitutional protections, mechanisms for overseeing gender equity, grassroots accountability frameworks modeled like Rwanda’s Imihigo contracts, and the proactive inclusion of women in both fiscal decision-making and reform processes. Despite the lessons, straightforward transfer is restricted, Sierra Leone struggles with weaker governance capacity, a politically diverse particularly due to its reduced institutional capability, plural political order, and deeply rooted gender hierarchies. The study emphasizes that in post-war Sierra Leone, cannot afford to see gender empowerment only through the lens of rights; and becomes a core instrument for advancing meaningful, post-conflict change. The article suggests that meaningful integration of women in governance, law, and economic structures is the most effective route to building sustainable peace, societal cohesion, and equitable development.
Keywords	Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Gender empowerment, Inclusive development, Post-conflict reconstruction, Governance reforms
Field	Sociology
Published In	Volume 6, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On	2025-12-08
DOI	https://doi.org/10.63363/aijfr.2025.v06i06.2342
Short DOI	https://doi.org/hbdwgd

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Applying Rwanda’s Post-Conflict Development Model to Sierra Leone: The Case of Gender Empowerment

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