Sierra Leone woman barred from becoming chief

[ccharles000]

Members of a Sierra Leone traditional group have besieged a woman's house and stopped her from going home after she launched a legal bid to become a chief.

Elizabeth Simbiwa Sogbo-Tortu was barred from an election to the chiefdom because she was a woman.

She lost an initial appeal against the ban - a ruling condemned by women's rights groups who are vowing to take her case to the Supreme Court.

A BBC correspondent says politicians are afraid of angering traditionalists.

The BBC's Umaru Fofana in Freetown says the politicians also do not want to antagonise women - making them afraid of the whole issue.

Women are barred from becoming chiefs in the Northern Province and most of the east but they are allowed in southern Sierra Leone.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8413266.stm

[vadawg]

1. pretty much understandable from the viewpoint of a tribal society

im actually more surprised that they allow women to be the chief in the south of sierra leone, now thats a pretty interesting factoid. Question do the tribes of north american allow females to be the chief of their tribes? never thought about it until this post...