Section 23
Freetown’s first-ever premium women-only social experience. Strictly 18+. For all women and only women!
For many women in Sierra Leone, social spaces are not neutral.
They come with risks: harassment, unwanted contact, reputational judgment, and the constant need to remain alert. These conditions shape how women move, how they express themselves, and whether they participate at all. In a broader context where 62% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence and where mental health support remains limited and difficult to access, the absence of safe, informal environments for release and rest becomes significant not incidental.
The first edition of Section 23 was held on 28th March as part of International Women’s Month, positioned intentionally as both a celebration and an intervention. It brought together 600 women in Freetown, meeting its full attendance target. The event was designed to remove the conditions women typically navigate in public spaces and replace them with something deliberate: safety, ease, and mutual respect. Feedback from participants reflected this clearly. Women described being able to move freely, leave their belongings without fear, interact without harassment, and engage with one another without the underlying tension that often defines social environments. For many, the experience was not just enjoyable. it was relieving. It created a rare moment of psychological ease in a setting that would ordinarily require vigilance.
Importantly, Section 23 was entirely self-funded, demonstrating both the level of demand and the ability to execute at scale without external backing. Its success was not measured only by attendance, but by how precisely it delivered on its intent. A large-scale social experience with no political party, religious, academic or professional affiliations, designed strictly for rest, is one non-existent in Sierra Leone. The outcome validated the need for this kind of space and established Section 23 as more than a one-time event. It is now being developed as an ongoing platform, with a second large-scale event scheduled for December and smaller, targeted engagements in between, including initiatives focused on women in business and community building.
A key focus within this next phase is women’s economic participation. Beginning in July, Section 23 will convene smaller, structured gatherings that bring together women who are already in business, entering business, or seeking to formalise their work. These sessions are designed to create practical value: facilitating partnerships, sharing information on access to finance, and creating direct links to financial institutions and service providers. The intention is not to replicate formal conferences, but to build an environment where conversations around money, growth, and opportunity can happen in a way that is accessible and grounded in lived realities.
This direction builds on the existing Section 23 community, which continues to engage beyond the event through active communication channels, including a WhatsApp network of 300+ participants. These ongoing interactions have made it clear that women are not only seeking safe social environments, but also spaces to exchange knowledge, build relationships, and support one another’s economic growth. Section 23 is therefore expanding in a way that responds directly to this demand, combining social experience with structured opportunities for learning, and long-term development. The platform remains open to strategic partnerships and sponsorships that align with this work.