Toward sustainable family policies in Sierra Leone: Developments and recommendations

Abstract

Sierra Leone is a small, developing country in West Africa with a complex mix of ethnicities and religions. The country is just now emerging from a period of brutal violence and social upheaval that has placed extreme burdens on existing familial structures and functioning. In this context, the creation, promotion, and implementation of effective family policies are of crucial importance to Sierra Leone's sustained economic, social, and political development. This chapter will explore the cultural underpinnings of what "family" means in Sierra Leone. It will also look at the political history of family policy making in Sierra Leone and provide recommendations for future directions that will enable this post-conflict society to continue moving forward in a constructive way.