The First Lady, Dr. Fatima Bio, on Monday 25th November 2004, officially launched the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and the ‘Real Man Campaign’ at the Bintumani International Conference Center, Aberdeen in Freetown.
The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MGCA), in collaboration with its partners, organized the program on the theme ‘Beijing + 30 tok se, joyn an for tap bad tin pan uman en gyal pikin.’
In her keynote address, the First Lady articulated that the country is making progress in the fight against SGBV and that no one can take the country back to the dark old days before the Beijing Declaration, reiterating that the country is making incremental results, citing the Free Quality Education for boys and girls, distribution of free sanitary pads to girls nationwide, declaration of Sexual Education for girls and separation of the Ministries of Social Welfare and Gender and Children’s Affairs, among others.
Other successes highlighted by the First Lady are access to justice for victims of SGBV, Abolition of the Child Marriage Act 2024, launch of the Male Involvement Strategy in 2020, for which Sierra Leone has become a role model, and affirming that our women and girls deserve better. She appealed to all to focus on the entire one-year campaign, noting that those who commit brutal acts of SGBV are demons and that this madness must end.
The First Lady also called for men to see women and girls as equals and partners, asserting that, “if you cherish your mother, you will cherish women and girls,” She assured that victims of SGBV would get justice.
The Chairperson for the program, the Adviser to the President on Gender Affairs, Mrs. Isata Kabbah, revealed that SGBV affects millions of women and girls worldwide, and called on all to be advocates of change, adding that the campaign now focuses on men who must serve as role models by standing up for the rights of women and girls, as well as uplifting the marginalized, and underscored that change begins with everybody.
She furthered that men must be engaged and imbibe positive masculinity to end GBV and that the campaign is a year-long event.
In her statement, the Minister of MGCA extolled the First Lady for the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ Campaign, distributing sanitary pads to girls nationwide and other supports to end SGBV, noting that this year’s theme focuses on galvanizing support to end and respond to violence against girls so as to reverse the ugly trend. She acknowledged the strides that have been made inspite of the challenges, citing the launch of the 116 toll free line, enactment of the Sexual Offences Act, the Child Marriage Act and the Model Sexual Offences Court, among others.
According to the Minister, most of the perpetrators of SGBV are men, and informed that the event is being observed in all the 16 Districts in the country, and that the Child Rights Amendment Bill, which is progressive and aligns with the President’s vision, has been tabled in Parliament for enactment, asserting that the Bill focuses on the rights and responsibilities of children.
The representative of Rainbow Center disclosed that they have established seven centers nationwide, that 2,419 SGBV cases have been reported up to September this year, furthering that one of their functions is to change harmful SGBV norms. She appealed for adequate funds from government and donors for medical, psychosocial and legal support to victims, reiterating that the battle against SGBV is far from over.
The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Alpha Sesay, assured that the Ministry is committed to end SGBV by strengthening laws on human rights and rule of law, gender-mainstreaming in the sector, including appointment of 30% women in the sector, decriminalizing petty offences, offering free legal services to SGBV victims and implementing the GEWE Act across the board.
The representative of the Sierra Leone Police informed that they are compiling the statistics of SGBV cases, and that a One-Stop Center is being constructed at the Aberdeen Police Station, and that a Gender Directorate has also been established in the Police Force.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, asserted that SGBV has no place in the country, also that the Ministry is committed to zero tolerance to SGBV, and that One-Stop Centers have been established in various hospitals nationwide for victims to have access to comprehensive treatment. He cataloged some of the challenges in the fight to end the menace, as unreported cases, cultural and traditional norms, lack of confidence in the judiciary and inadequate resources.
The United Nations Resident Representative in Sierra Leone, Sarafine Wakanah, pointed out that 30% of girls in Sierra Leone get married before the age of 18, which she underlined, is still high, and urged all to challenge harmful traditional and cultural practices, and pledged for total commitment to end the menace. She affirmed that the UN would advocate for systematic reforms, and among others, reduce poverty and mobilize resources.
The Irish Ambassador to Sierra Leone disclosed that of the 200 countries in the world, none has succeeded to end SGBV, noting that Sierra Leone has made progress in recent years, citing the various laws that have been enacted, including the Safe Motherhood Bill and the Child Rights Bill that is before Parliament, all aimed at accelerating progress in the fight to end SGBV. He stressed the need to redouble efforts. He also disclosed plans to launch the Le375 million 4-years Spotlight program supported by the European Union to strengthen legislation reforms, prevention, boost response services and support civil society organizations and women’s movements.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Aminata Sannoh, called the event to order, while Mr. Bami Sesay, Deputy Director of Gender, introduced the chairperson for the program.
Highlights of the event were overview of the “Real Man Campaign,” screening of the documentary, musical performance by the National Dance Troop, skit performance on GBV by One Family People and Award to He4She Champions, while the vote of thanks was rendered by Morrison Bockarie, President of the Children’s Forum Network.