WORLD REPORT 2010 – SIERRA LEONE

GREAT NEWS for WOMEN of SIERRA LEONE at the United Nations!

Sierra Leone sends a high powered delegation lead by The Minister of Social Welfare, Children’s and Gender Affairs, Dr. Soccoh Kabia, to attend at the 54th meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women (CWS) at the United Nations, New York, from March 1-12, 2010.

Sierra Leone’s delegation includes Minister Kabia, Hon. Dr. Soccoh A Kabia and the following :

Eunice Njovana

Hon. Tamba Sam

Hon. Bernadette Lahai

Mabel Kartushe

Charles Vandi

Agnes Farma

Dr. Nana Pratt

Edward Jombla

Maude Peacock

Fatou Kargbo

Councillor Sembia Johnson, President of Council of Women Councillors

Hon. Rev. Marie Yansaneh

Hon. Claude Kamanda

Clara F. Koroma

John Manu

Josephine Sam

Agnes Pessima

Elizabeth Sam

The Session commemorates the 15th anniversary of the 1995 Beijing Conference. The United Nations Department of Information reports that the Beijing Platform for Action outlines twelve critical areas of concern for women. This session provides an opportunity to reaffirm the Commission’s achievements and the duty of the States to implement their commitments.

The twelve areas of concern outlined in the Beijing Conference “Platform for Action” are:

1] The fight against the increasing poverty of Women.

2] Promoting equal access to education and training.

3] Promoting equal access to health care and medical services.

4] The fight against violence to women.

5] Combating the effects of armed conflict on women.

6] Promoting equality within economic structures and policies, equal access to all forms of productive activities and resources.

7] Encouraging the sharing of power and decision-making.

8] Developing mechanisms to promote the advancement of women.

9] Ensuring respect for the fundamental rights of women, and improving the promotion and protection of these rights.

10] The fight against the stereotyping of women and inequality in women’s access to and participation in communication systems, especially in the media.

11] Promoting equal access to the management of natural resources and the safeguarding of the environment.

12] Eliminating the discrimination against and violation of the fundamental rights of girls.

Following an alarming spate of rape incidents in Sierra Leone in the first 3 months of 2010, the Civil Society Organizations – United Nations Development Programme (CSO-UNDP) Forum, is calling for a more vigorous response to stop human rights violations and criminal acts against young girls. “We condemn in the strongest terms possible such despicable acts of violence against young girls,” says the CSO- UNDP Forum Statement, issued in at its monthly meeting, in Bo, yesterday. “In the past several days, CSOs in Kono have received reports of a 56 year old man who allegedly defiled a 12 year old girl. The young girl later died at the Government Hospital in Koidu. The alleged perpetrator is currently detained at Tankoro Police Station in Kono,” the statement says.

A small sample of recent allegations reported by this Forum include the following:

A 12 year old girl in Kenema was defiled by an older man and later died.
In Bombali district, a 13 year old girl was defiled by a 45 year old man.
In Moyamba, 5 and 9 year old girls were defiled with no arrests.
In Bo, a 16 year old was gang raped with no convictions almost a year later.
In Freetown, a 12 year old girl was sexually abused by 49 year old man.

“Out of 927 cases of sexual abuse reported in Sierra Leone in 2009, there were no convictions“, Ms Bernadette Cole, Chairperson, Independent Media Commission said in a statement at the opening of a two day training & consultative workshop for journalists entitled, The Role of Media in Publicizing Sexual and Gender Based Violence Cases in Sierra Leone. [SGBV]

The Government has taken steps to combat SGBV through the enactment of Gender based laws, the creation of a National Commission on Gender Based Violence and by establishing 43 Family Support Units located in police stations throughout the country, Dr. Soccoh Kabia, Hon. Minister for Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs also said at the Media training workshop in February.

And, with Dr. Kabia in New York this March, there is always hope for positive change and progress in the Rights of Women in Sierra Leone.

LINK: http://embassyofsierraleone.net/home/index.phpoption=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=141