The new law complements the Customary Land Rights Act, and puts an end to six decades of customary laws that prevented women from owning land.
It’s a new dawn for the women of Sierra Leone after president Julius Maada Bio assented into law the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment 2021 bill on Jan. 19, which will be implemented alongside the Customary Land Rights Act 2022 (pdf), allowing them equal rights as men to own, lease, or buy land in the country.

The law signifies a huge leap forward in including women in the development of the west African country’s real estate industry, which, due to deeply rooted cultural norms, has been under the control of men.

About 70% of Sierra Leoneans live in rural areas and women comprise 52% of the country’s population.

In Sierra Leone, 83% of the owned land belongs to the family, with customs requiring the oldest male hold the land in trust or with a paramount chief being the holder of communal land. At least 95% of its land is governed by customary law which prevails where there is no statutory law. That has made it difficult for women to own land.