Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE is the first elected female Mayor of Freetown and the first woman to lead the city after almost 40 years. Her election as Mayor of the country’s capital city and her inclusive, people-centred approach to leadership has inspired and continues to inspire many young girls and women in Freetown and across the country.

Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr established the YAS Girls Leadership Foundation in January 2022 because of her passion, commitment and desire to be deliberate and targeted in inspiring future female leaders and supporting them as they seek to navigate the challenges they face.

Sierra Leone ranks 155th of 162 countries in the 2019 Gender Inequality Index. According to UNICEF, females continue to fall significantly behind males in literacy rates (52.1% – 70.5%) and 43% of girls in Sierra Leone are married by the age of 18. Adolescent girls in Sierra Leone face numerous challenges as they begin the transition to adulthood. Decisions on their education and their future can become a burden; making these life changing decisions are even more difficult due to the lack of female role models for girls to speak with and learn from.