Embassy of Iceland in Freetown

24/02/2026

Last Friday, UN Women, in collaboration with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs and the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, and with support from the Government of Iceland, launched a new three-year project titled Empowering Communities Through Gender-Responsive Governance.

Informed by an Iceland-funded Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) mapping exercise, the project will be implemented in five coastal districts: Bonthe, Moyamba, Port Loko, Kambia, and Western Area Rural. It is expected to benefit more than 1.9 million people by strengthening local governance systems and service delivery at the community level.

The initiative aims to build the capacity of local councils to ensure that women, youth, and girls, particularly those who are vulnerable and marginalised, have equal access to quality services, resources, and opportunities. By promoting gender-responsive and inclusive governance, the project seeks to enhance participation in social and economic life, leading to more equitable development outcomes and stronger, more resilient communities.

Gender equality remains a cornerstone of Iceland’s domestic and foreign policy, as well as its international development cooperation. Speaking at the launch, Ásdís Bjarnadóttir, Head of Mission at the Embassy of Iceland in Freetown, stated:
“When local institutions are inclusive and responsive, and when the voices of all citizens, regardless of gender, are heard, valued, and integrated into decision-making, services become more equitable, resources are allocated more fairly, and development outcomes improve for everyone. Investing in women’s economic and political participation and leadership helps close gender gaps and contributes to building more equal, inclusive, and prosperous societies.” Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, WOMEN Sierra Leone, of Local Government and Community Affairs

17/11/2025

Last week Sierra Leone’s Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Hon. Dr. Isata Mahoi visited Iceland to participate the Reykjavík Global Forum for Women Leaders, which brought together over 500 global leaders under the theme “Power, Together for Change!” Dr. Isata Mahoi was invited to serve as Co-Chair of the Global Forum for Women Leaders, in recognition of Sierra Leone’s growing leadership on gender equality and inclusive governance. At the forum she spoke about Sierra Leone’s progress through the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act of 2022 which has raised women’s representation to 34.5% in Cabinet and 30% in Parliament, while also highlighting recent child protection laws and community initiatives such as the Real Man Campaign. In addition to the Global Forum Dr. Mahoi participated in a high-level level symposium on Women, Peace and Security that was organised jointly by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, the Icelandic chapter of the Nordic Women Mediators Network, GRÓ–GEST – the Gender Equality Studies and Training Programme, the Institute of International Affairs at the University of Iceland, UN Women Iceland and the United Nations Association in Iceland. During the symposium Dr. Mahoi shared Sierra Leone’s experience in protecting women and children during crises and emphasized the need for greater investment in women’s leadership and livelihoods.

To further strengthen the bilateral partnership between Iceland and Sierra Leone, Dr. Mahoi had several high-level engagements, including the President of Iceland, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Education and Children’s Affairs, the Speaker of the Parliament and the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament of Iceland. During the meeting with Ms Halla Tómasdóttir, the President of Iceland, Dr Mahoi discussed women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship, Sierra Leone´s post crisis recovery and security, how to approach the prevention of gender-based violence, women’s political participation, advancement of gender equality and the expansion of the blue economy, particularly the fisheries sector, where Iceland holds strong comparative advantage.

In the meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Mahoi applauded the establishment of Iceland’s Embassy in Freetown, describing it as a strong signal of enduring friendship and collaboration, but the Embassy was formally opened in May 2024.

“It was a pleasure to receive Dr. Mahoi here in Iceland. I am very grateful for the strong cooperation that exists between Iceland and Sierra Leone and our share commitment to advance gender equality. Enduring solutions to the challenges of today requires empowering women and girls and ensuring that everyone has equal opportunity to fully participate in society” said Ms Þorgerður Katrín, Minister for Foreign Affairs at the conclusion of the meeting.

Dr. Mahoi also met with the Development Cooperation Committee which has an advisory role in policy making decisions pertaining to Iceland‘s international development cooperation and the GRÓ International Centre for Capacity Building Development, Sustainable use of Natural Resources and Societal Change to discuss potential collaboration opportunities. GRÓ operates under the auspices of UNESCO and provides institutional capacity development in the fields of fisheries, gender equality, geothermal energy and land restoration.

11/11/2025

29/10/2025

See the following link for more information on the Snorri Sturluson Icelandic Fellowships: https://arnastofnun.is/en/snorri-sturluson-icelandic-fellowships

24/10/2025

Today Iceland celebrates the 50th anniversary of Kvennaverkfall, the Women’s Strike of 1975, a landmark moment in the global fight for gender equality. The country was brought to a standstill on October 24, 1975, when 90% of Icelandic women stopped work, both paid and unpaid, to demonstrate their vital contributions to society. The strike shut down schools, businesses, and public services, and forever changed the course of Icelandic history.

“I remember standing on the stage in the square and watching rivers of women flowing down the streets,” recalls Guðrún Hallgrímsdóttir, a former member of Iceland’s parliament and a founder of Iceland’s feminist movement, Rauðsokkahreyfingin, or “Red Stockings,” that organized the 1975 strike. “They sang, they shouted, they carried banners. Women became aware that their contribution to Icelandic society was essential. Without it, this society could not function.”

Iceland’s gender equality journey spans more than 175 years, from the establishment of equal inheritance rights in 1850 and women’s suffrage in 1915, to the 1975 strike and the 1980 election of the world’s first democratically elected female president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.

Iceland currently ranks first on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index and has held this first-place position for 16 consecutive years. Iceland is the only country to have closed more than 90% of its gender gap and this is evident as women lead at every level of society. Women currently hold key national leadership positions, including Prime Minister, President, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice, National Police Commissioner, Bishop of Iceland, and Mayor of Reykjavík.

To honor this half-century milestone, Icelandic women are once again organizing a Women’s Strike on Friday, October 24, 2025. This year’s event will commemorate the courage of those who marched 50 years ago and highlight the need for ongoing progress toward fair pay, shared care, safety, and equal voice.

Learn more about Iceland´s Equality Story here: https://t.co/geXzoZBJA2

Information about the 2025 Women’s Strike is available here: https://t.co/q8SY5UvZSk

Credit for photographs: Snorri Z/ Women´s History Archives.

17/10/2025

Today Ásdís Bjarnadóttir, our Head of Mission, attended the closing ceremony of the 6th edition of the National Girls Summit held in Makeni. The National Girls Summit, which is organized by the Girls Advocacy Development Network (GADNet), has since its inception grown from a one-off annual event into a national movement amplifying the voices of girls and young women across Sierra Leone. This year’s summit brought together 500 girls and young women from all 16 districts of Sierra Leone and provided a platform for them to share experiences, develop leadership skills, and shape collective action for change. This year’s summit, under the theme “Our Time, Our Power: Building the Future We Deserve” embraced a camp model, creating a vibrant and safe space where girls could live, learn, and lead together by sharing experiences, building resilience, and unlocking their full potential.

During the closing ceremony Ásdís commended GADNet for hosting the summit and reiterated that gender equality is a cornerstone of Iceland’s development cooperation in Sierra Leone. She said that Iceland remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting initiatives that amplify girls’ voices, protect their rights, and open pathways for their leadership. Ásdís concluded her speech by directly addressing the girls of Sierra Leone:

“My message to the girls of Sierra Leone is this: continue to dream boldly, act courageously, and inspire others. Your leadership and resolution here today lay the foundation for a brighter Sierra Leone. As you leave here today and pursue your various endeavours always remember that:

Your dreams matter.

Your voices are powerful.

And your leadership will continue to shape the future of this country and beyond.”

Girls Advocacy Development Network

06/10/2025

31/07/2025

Three fellows from Sierra Leone took part in the GRÓ Fisheries Training Programme (GRÓ FTP) in 2024, specialising in fisheries policy and management, sustainable aquaculture, and aquatic resource assessment and monitoring.

That same year, GRÓ's Land Restoration Training Programme (GRÓ LRT), in partnership with the Icelandic Red Cross, held a two-day short course in Freetown on community-based forest landscape restoration. The training strengthened local capacity in land management and supported ongoing efforts to restore degraded landscapes in 52 communities across Sierra Leone.

Since the start of Iceland’s cooperation with Sierra Leone through GRÓ in 2008, 21 fellows have completed the five-six month training at the GRÓ Training Programmes in Iceland, 11 men and 10 women. The majority of the fellows, or 19 attended the GRÓ Fisheries Training Programme (GRÓ FTP) and 2 in the GRÓ Gender Equality Studies and Training Programme (GRÓ GEST).

Learn more in the full 2024 GRÓ Annual Report:

The year 2024 was an active and productive one for GRÓ – Centre for Capacity Development, Sustainability and Societal Change – and the four training prog

23/05/2025

Today the Embassy attended the “Her Health, Her Right: Shaping a Future Without Fistula” ceremony in Freetown to observe International Day to End Obstetric Fistula. During the ceremony stakeholders including health care providers, government and development partners reiterated their commitment to eliminate Obstetric Fistula in Sierra Leone.

Obstetric fistula is a major public health problem affecting mainly the most vulnerable girls and women living in the most hard-to-reach localities of less developed countries globally, in which women have limited access to quality health services. Obstetric fistula remains one of the most severe and tragic childbirth injuries. It manifests as a hole between the birth canal and bladder and/or re**um, typically resulting from prolonged, obstructed labour without access to timely, high-quality medical care. This condition causes women to leak urine, faeces, or both, leading to chronic health problems, depression, social isolation, and exacerbating poverty.

To help the Government of Sierra Leone to combat Obstetric fistula Iceland has provided support to UNFPA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, for a five-year programme that seeks to eradicate Obstetric fistula in Sierra Leone by 2027. The programme aims to institutionalize fistula care based on the National Strategy to End Fistula in Sierra Leone. This programme ensures a structured approach to managing fistula, from patient identification through surgical repair, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

In 2024 more than 400,000 people were reached with information on Sexual & reproductive health (SRH) and obstetric fistula through mass media campaigns, more than 28,000 people were reached with advocacy, training and education on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (including obstetric fistula), more than 36,000 women and girls accessed and utilized quality integrated SRH services in 15 facilities in six districts that are supported by the programme and 642 health care staff members received training on SRH and obstetric fistula. More than 700 girls and women were screened for obstetric fistula with over 200 being operated on. All the women that underwent operations received medical rehabilitation, counselling, and life skills training. Additionally, the fistula ward and operation theatre at Bo Government Hospital was refurbished and renovation of labour wards and maternity theatres in Makeni and Kailahun government hospitals is ongoing.

As the programme looks ahead, the focus will remain on strengthening prevention efforts, enhancing surgical services in government hospitals, and ensuring comprehensive rehabilitation for survivors. UNFPA Sierra Leone

27/04/2025

Happy Independence Day to everyone in Sierra Leone! 🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱