Strengthening Partnerships: GRÓ GEST Operations Manager Visits Sierra Leone
In January 2025, GRÓ GEST‘s Operations Manager, Guðrún Eysteinsdóttir, embarked on a mission to Sierra Leone at the invitation of Ásdís Bjarnadóttir, Head of Mission at the Icelandic Embassy in Freetown, to participate in the inaugural African Maritime Gender Network (AMGN) conference, which focused on gender considerations in maritime security. The visit aimed to deepen existing collaborations and explore new opportunities for engagement in gender equality and capacity-building initiatives, underscoring GEST’s commitment to fostering meaningful partnerships in West Africa.
The AMGN conference, held in Freetown on 14–15 January 2025 was hosted in collaboration by the Embassies of Iceland and the United States in Sierra Leone. It brought together distinguished international and regional stakeholders, various governmental and non-governmental organizations from across West Africa, and representatives from Iceland Tinna Gilbertsdóttir, Chairperson of The Association of Women in the Marine Industry and Guðrún Þorgeirsdóttir of the Icelandic Coast Guard as well as Guðrún Eysteinsdóttir from GRÓ GEST. Conference participants engaged in discussions on increasing female participation and decision-making in the security and fisheries sectors, as well as the broader intersections of gender and maritime security. GEST‘s operations manager gave a well received presentation of GRÓ GEST and the GRÓ Center, in particular GEST‘s fellowship programme.
In Sierra Leone, the operations manager also had productive meetings with essential collaborators, including Mariama Gbao and Baindu Massaquoi of UN Women Sierra Leone, President Sally Adams and other representatives of the Sierra Leone Women’s Forum, Director Daniel Kettor of Rainbo Initiative, and Dr. Aisha Ibrahim of Fourah Bay College and 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone. Finally, she was honored to visit the Sierra Leone Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs where she was greeted by Deputy Minister Buakai Bindi Hindowa and met with Permanent Secretary Mrs. Aminata Y. Sannoh, Deputy Chief Director of Child Protection, Mr. Charles Vandy, and Deputy Director of Gender Marian Goodie Sowonie. All these meetings focused on expanding cooperation in the areas of gender and development, with an emphasis on capacity-building and knowledge exchange.
When GRÓ GEST staff members travel to partner countries it is always a highlight of every trip to have the opportunity to meet with local GEST alumni. To date, three fellows have joined the GEST programme from Sierra Leone: Rosaline Banya in 2018, Yeimama Kallon in 2023 and Bintu Kamara who is a member of the current 2025 cohort. A lunch meeting with Rosaline Banya of Concern Worldwide was no exception to this rule. GRÓ GEST is very proud to count Rosaline, Yeimama and Bintu among its fellows and alumni and takes great pleasure in learning of their work and progress.
The importance of meaningful partnerships in the work towards greater gender equality and social justice cannot be overstated, and face-to-face meetings with like-minded partners are essential for sustained engagement. The invitation to visit Sierra Leone extended to GEST by the Embassy of Iceland in Freetown, and the warm welcome and logistical support given by Head of Mission Ásdís Bjarnadóttir, Deputy Head of Mission Kjartan A. Óskarsson, and Program Advisor Mohamed Bah, were instrumental in making the visit a success, enabling GEST‘s representative to meet with many members of Sierra Leone‘s dynamic and inspiring community of gender advocates and changemakers. It was invaluable to learn about their work, discuss shared priorities, and explore ways how GEST can further contribute to local and regional efforts in gender equality.
The mission laid the groundwork for future initiatives and reinforced GEST’s dedication to fostering partnerships in West Africa. Moving forward, the GEST programme aims to continue supporting gender-focused initiatives in Sierra Leone and beyond, ensuring that knowledge exchange and capacity-building efforts translate into tangible, lasting impact.
