Sierra Leone

===Gender equality===

==== Household ====

Although women account for about 50 percent of the population in Sierra Leone, only 28 percent are household heads.<ref name=":03">{{Cite web|url=https://www.statistics.sl/images/StatisticsSL/Documents/Census/2015/sl_2015_phc_thematic_report_on_gender.pdf|title=Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census Thematic Report on Gender |author1=Fatou Taqi |author2=Marian Vinnie-Wilson |author3=Alimatu Vandi |date=2015}}</ref> As in the rest of the countries, education is a key factor in succeeding in aspects such as a well-paid job and covering the needs of a house. Rural areas are the most common to lack access to education having only male-headed four percent ahead of females with basic education and 1.2 percent more at the post-graduate level.<ref name=":03" />

In Sierra Leone, normally, men are automatically positioned as household heads; and their status does not change if their marital status changes over time.<ref name=":03" /> However, a female household does change depending on their marital status. A woman can be the head of the house only if she remains single for the rest of her life. But if a woman gets married, she will not be entitled to be the head of the house anymore.<ref name=":03" /> Females can take over the household head if they become widowed or divorced.<ref name=":03" />

In the labour field, it is expected that the household will financially provide for the needs of the family. However, females face gender discrimination making them the target of lower incomes and financial struggles.<ref name=":03" /> In numbers, females present a lower percentage (6.3) versus males (15.2) when it comes to being paid employees.<ref name=":03" />

==== War ====

Children who have been forced to be part of a war have experienced severe mental and emotional damage in Sierra Leone. However, the damage and way to deal with the effects of war depends on the gender of the kids. Both genders experienced and were involved in high levels of violence. Females, experiencing higher levels of rapes, presented greater signs of depression and anxiety.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|date=2011-07-01|title=Sierra Leone's Child Soldiers: War Exposures and Mental Health Problems by Gender|journal=Journal of Adolescent Health|volume=49|issue=1|pages=21–28|doi=10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.09.021|pmid=21700152|pmc=3124662|issn=1054-139X|last1=Betancourt|first1=Theresa S.|last2=Borisova|first2=Ivelina I.|last3=de la Soudière|first3=Marie|last4=Williamson|first4=John}}</ref> Males, on the other hand, presented higher levels of anxiety and hostility.<ref name=":12" /> Males also showed to be more vulnerable to depression after losing a caregiver.<ref name=":12" />

==== Female economy ====

Women face discrimination when it comes to obtaining financial, social, and cultural help to start a business.<ref name=":4"/> It is difficult to avoid the economic paralysis in Sierra Leone given that more than half of the population in the country is women.<ref name=":4" /> Due to the lack of access to basic education, women are the least prepared when it comes to processing business licences, registering names or contracting.<ref name=":4" /> Not having the capital to start a new business is the biggest barrier for women.<ref name=":4" /> With the lack of technology, mostly in all Sierra Leone<!--What does this bit mean exactly?-->, it is hard to help a business to function.<ref name=":4" />