Name Elizabeth Sogbo-Tortu | ||
Elizabeth Simbiwa Sogbo-Tortu is a Sierra Leonean woman who was the subject of controversy after her 2009 bid to become the paramount Niminyama chief was rejected because of her gender.
Chieftainship
In 2009, Elizabeth Simbiwa Sogbo-Tortu sought to become the paramount Niminyama chief within Sierra Leone in 2009. At the time, women were barred from holding chieftainships in Northern Province and much of the east of the country, but female chiefs were allowed in the south of the country. The Chieftain Act 2009 had recently made it legal for the children of former chieftains to compete for the chieftainship, despite their agenda. As such, Sogbo-Tortu was qualified since her father was the former chief. She was one of ten people competing for the position, but was barred from standing despite having been born into a ruling house and being the eldest. Others attempting to become chief included Sogbo-Tortu's nephews. After her disqualification, one of her nephews was appointed chief.
Sogbo-Tortu subsequently filed a legal appeal to her disqualification which was rejected, with her deciding to take the case to the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone afterwards. She was escorted by armed police, United Nations officials, and women's rights activists when she attempted to return her home in Sewase, eastern Kono District. En-route, they were attacked by rock-throwing members of the Poro secret society. She subsequently travelled to Freetown instead.
Yasmine Jusu-Sheriff, vice-chair of the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, stated she would support Sogbo-Tortu in taking the case to the Supreme Court. While pursuing the case with the Supreme Court, the case of Iye Kendor Bandabla was heard by the High Court, to agreed that she could become a chief.