Freetown - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
There are some political tensions, that are connected to party affiliations and regional ties. - Jan 2022
The religious groups seem to get along here. There seems to be some gender equality issues when it comes to the roles and responsibilities of women. - Sep 2021
Muslims and Christians get along pretty well, families intermarry. Gender...well women work very hard and then still are expected to do all the domestic/childcare. Traditional family units are bit hmm..complicated? women put up with their partners having many kids outside of the marriage. Local staff openly say they prefer male supervisors (even if they themselves are female!). - May 2018
West African men can be macho (but not toward expat women, just local women really). Men can stare. It is not uncommon to have multiple wives, or many many kids by many different moms, family structure is hmmm fluid? FGM is very common so imagine what that does to women's psyche generally. Ethnic tensions spill into politics but overall people get along and very little to no religious prejudice as far as I can tell. Some locals resent Lebanese families that have done well here and own businesses. - Sep 2017
You will not find a more religiously tolerant country in the world, I'm sure. Every meeting and public gathering begins with a Muslim and a Christian prayer and both prayers are often spoken by everyone attending. It is patriarchal, but professional expat women are respected. All work environments were very friendly to men and women. - Sep 2014
Women are not considered on par with men but Sierra Leone has made some progress in this department compared to similar countries. Otherwise it is very religiously tolerant, with people crossing between Christian and Muslim depending on the holiday. Muslims sing in church choirs and send their kids to Christian Schools, and everyone celebrates Eid's. Most Muslim women do not wear Hajab. - Jun 2014
None. - Sep 2010
