The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 – Gender Equality

While Sierra Leone has made progress – leading West Africa with 30% of parliamentary seats held by women following the June 2023 general elections – we recognise that significant challenges remain. Although this achievement is encouraging, much work is still needed to close the gender gap.

Key gender inequality statistics in Sierra Leone:

• Gender Inequality Rank: 153 out of 162
• Gender Development Index Rank: 155
• Maternal Mortality Ratio: 443 deaths per 100,000 live births (World Bank)
• Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: 86.1% (UNICEF)
• Lifetime Physical and/or Sexual Intimate Partner Violence: 53% (Sierra Leone DHS Report)
• Child Marriage: 1/3 of girls are married off before they turn 18 (BBC)

These figures underscore the urgency for action to drive gender justice forward.

“Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economies and benefit societies and human at large.” (UN)

Engaging Men and Boys for Gender Justice

Men and boys, who are often the primary perpetrators of violence against women and girls, may not fully recognise that such violence – whether in homes, institutions, workplaces, or communities – contradicts the principles of positive masculinity. As fathers, sons, uncles, cousins, boyfriends, husbands, traditional and religious leaders, and respected members of society, men and boys have a responsibility to acknowledge women and girls as equals in society.
By engaging men and boys, we encourage them to reflect on their behavior and initiate a process of self-examination – recognising that women and girls, just like men and boys, have the right to enjoy their fundamental, civic, and democratic rights.
Challenging deep-rooted traditional and cultural norms that fuel gender inequality allows men and boys to shift their perspectives. The notion that masculinity is synonymous with aggression, dominance, and ownership over women – ingrained in patriarchal systems worldwide, including in Sierra Leone – must be replaced with a vision of gender equality and mutual respect.
In post-conflict Sierra Leone, engaging men and boys in discussions about gender justice is vital for dismantling harmful societal norms that perpetuate violence against women and girls.

Our training and sensitisation programs take place in six districts across Sierra Leone: Moyamba, Pujehun, Kailahun, Kono, Kambia, and Freetown. To create sustainable and holistic change, we collaborate with diverse social groups, including religious and traditional leaders, youth, school clubs, women’s organisations, politicians, public entities, and government ministries.

Recognising that violence is learned, we strongly believe that:
“It is easier and cheaper to build up children for the future than to repair adults.”
This is why we have extended our interventions to schools, aiming to transform young minds early on and prevent violence before it begins. –“catch them young”–

Citizen Journalism for Community Reporting

To strengthen SGBV prevention and response, we have trained community action teams and students in citizen journalism strategies, enabling them to report SGBV cases and other forms of violence via text messages.
In many underserved rural communities, violence often occurs far from urban areas where protective structures exist. As a result, delays in reporting can allow perpetrators to escape or evidence to be lost. “Justice delayed is justice denied” By the time authorities receive reports and act, critical evidence may no longer be available, making it difficult for courts to prosecute offenders. This has led to many SGBV cases being dismissed due to a lack of evidence. Our citizen journalism initiative seeks to bridge this gap and ensure that survivors receive the justice they deserve.

• 2021: 
Mitigating the negative socio-economic impact of the COVID 19 epidemic in Sierra Leone. Protestant Agency for Diakonie and Development for the Bread for the World (Bftw).

  (CPS Partners Consortium, across the country)
• 2019 – 2021: Accountability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: A Human Right and Gender Justice for MenEngage Africa. Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). Through: Sonke Gender Justice Network, South Africa. 

  (Through country network partners across the country)
• 2018 – 2021
: Rights, Actions and Accountability: Supporting Community Mobilization and State Accountability for Gender Justice in Africa. Norwegian Agency for Development- NORAD through Sonke Gender Justice Network, South Africa.
  
(Freetown City slum communities and Bo district.)
• 2020
: Active Ongoing Member of Technical working Team: Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Government of Sierra Leone. Government of Sierra Leone, UNFPA and other Development Partners. Development and production of National Male Involvement Strategy for the Prevention of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Sierra Leone.
• 2015 – 2016: 
World Vision International – Consultancy to conduct Dialogue sessions with MDAs, Council Authorities, men and women on Accountability of services provided to communities and transformational masculinity in the implementation of the “Women Empowered for Leadership and Development” (WELD) project in 7 targeted districts.

  (North – Koinadugu, Port Loko, Bombali, Tonkolili and East – Kono, Kailahun, Kenema.)
  
• 2014 – 2016
: Actively participated in, and meaningfully contributed to, symptomatic treatment and prevention campaigns during the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone.
•  2013 – 2014: 
Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK (IDS UK) Collaborative Research work done captioned “The Legacy of Conflict and the struggle to End Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in Sierra Leone” (research published 2015 – copy available on demand)
•  2011 – 2013: 
United Nations Trust Fund through Sonke Gender Justice Network, South Africa on project titled “Engaging Men to Strengthen the Implementation of GBV Laws and Policies and Promote Gender Equality in Kenya, Rwanda and Sierra Leone”.
•  2011-2012: 
International Rescue Committee Sierra Leone (IRC) “Men and Women in Partnership project”- a behaviour change program to change gender norms and promote gender equality in rural communities (Kailahun and Kenema districts).
• 2004 – 2005
: American Embassy, Democracy and Human Rights Funds (DHRF) “Engaging men and boys in transformative masculinity”

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Training of other INGOs in transformative masculinity as part of the primary prevention approach. They include: Plan International, COOPI, OXFAM, Restless Development, YMCA, and International Rescue Committee (IRC) among others.
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Worked with Sonke Gender Justice Network South Africa and other countries to collect and review the gender policies of Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Kenya to identify gaps and recommend to policy makers for actions when and where necessary.