Sierra Leone Parliament and UNICEF Mark World Children’s Day with National Children’s Dialogue
Sierra Leone Parliament and UNICEF Mark World Children’s Day with National Children’s Dialogue
20 November 2025 — Freetown, Sierra Leone: Today, Sierra Leone’s Parliament, UNICEF, and the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs marked World Children’s Day 2025 with a national children’s dialogue with Parliament under the global theme “My Day. My Right.”
The event brought together children from all 16 districts — including those living with disabilities — to share their experiences and present their priorities directly to Members of Parliament, the country’s highest law-making and oversight body. Discussions focused on key child rights issues such as education, health, protection, inclusion, and the urgent challenge of child poverty.
“World Children’s Day reminds us that every decision we make as a nation must put children first,” said the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas. “Parliament is committed to creating space for children’s voices and ensuring that inclusion—especially for children living with disabilities—guides our work. Today’s dialogue is a powerful step toward building a Sierra Leone where every child can thrive.”
“Advancing child rights requires more than good policies—it calls for adequate resources, effective implementation, and strong parliamentary oversight,” said Mr. Rudolf Schwenk, UNICEF Representative in Sierra Leone. “By prioritizing budgets and accountability, Parliament can help ensure that commitments translate into real improvements in the lives of children.”
Representing children and adolescents from districts across Sierra Leone, 17-year-old Joseph Lebbie from Bo District delivered a powerful message on behalf of all child representatives. He commended Parliament for its leadership and urged action on key priorities: tackling child poverty and economic hardship; strengthening child protection and ending violence; ensuring inclusion of children with disabilities; improving health, nutrition, and overall wellbeing; and expanding equitable access to quality education and digital.
Building on these priorities, Mariatu Marrah, 15, Bombali District, another youth advocate, presented a “Children’s Call to Action” on behalf of all participants to the Speaker of Parliament, outlining three key recommendations for lawmakers:
- Establishment of a Parliamentary Caucus on Children and Youth that meets quarterly.
- Commit to increasing budgetary allocation for child-focused social sectors, including social protection, gender and children, and social welfare.
- Increased accountability of public spending for children at both central and local levels.
The Speaker of Parliament pledged Parliament’s continued commitment to advancing children’s rights and ensuring that their voices remain integral to national decision-making.
“This dialogue demonstrates that children are partners in shaping Sierra Leone’s development,” said the Speaker of Parliament. “Their voices must inform the decisions we make today. Parliament has a duty to ensure that every law and every budget reflects our commitment to advancing the rights and wellbeing of all children. Progress begins when we listen—and act—on what children tell us.”
These calls echo findings from a recent nationwide U-Report poll conducted by UNICEF to understand young people’s perspectives on child rights. The results reveal some gaps:
- Awareness: While 26% of respondents said they know children’s rights well, 30% admitted they had never heard of them.
- Respect for Rights: Only 28% believe children’s rights are respected all the time in their communities, while 72% say respect is inconsistent or lacking.
- Participation: Just 22% feel children always have opportunities to share their views or influence decisions; 35% say this rarely or never happens.
- Action: A quarter (25%) report taking action for child rights all the time, but 36% rarely or never do.
World Children’s Day 2025 serves as a national call to action for renewed partnerships, stronger accountability, and meaningful participation of children in shaping the Sierra Leone they want. By translating today’s dialogue into tangible actions, Sierra Leone can accelerate progress toward a future where every child’s rights are realized — every day, for every child.
For more information, please contact:
Suzanne Wooster, Communication Specialist, UNICEF Sierra Leone | [email protected]
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About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org.
