• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ManoReporters.com
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Business and Economy
    • Politics
    • Health
    • Sci-Tech
    • Regional
    • Culture
    A screengrab from an amateur video shows the military officer standing over the motionless body of the gunman, shortly after dropping him down. Photo credit, Kemo Cham, ManoReporters

    Gunman in Lightfoot Boston Street shooting incident is a “dangerous armed robber” – Police

    Sierra Leone: Training journalists covering minority issues on mental health & fatigue

    Sierra Leone: Training journalists covering minority issues on mental health & fatigue

    Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio delivers a keynote speech at the American University School of International Service in Washington, DC, on September 15, 2023. - AFP

    Bio says US pressured him to interfere in June 24 elections

    Sierra Leone: MRCG commences national retreat on minority rights reporting

    Sierra Leone: MRCG commences national retreat on minority rights reporting

    Kids who benefitted from SWSL's back-to-school package display their goodies. Photo credit, Hassan Koroma, ManoReporters

    Dozens of children of disable parents get Back-to-school kits from SWSL

    Dr Alhaji Umar Njai poses with his mentee, Abubakar Sesay at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi. Photo credit, Project 1808

    Project 1808 Founder, Mentee, Among Sierra Leone Representatives in 1st Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi

    Trending Tags

  • Special Reports
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • True or False
  • Interview
  • ManoReporters TV
  • Tender and Job
  • Election 2023
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Business and Economy
    • Politics
    • Health
    • Sci-Tech
    • Regional
    • Culture
    A screengrab from an amateur video shows the military officer standing over the motionless body of the gunman, shortly after dropping him down. Photo credit, Kemo Cham, ManoReporters

    Gunman in Lightfoot Boston Street shooting incident is a “dangerous armed robber” – Police

    Sierra Leone: Training journalists covering minority issues on mental health & fatigue

    Sierra Leone: Training journalists covering minority issues on mental health & fatigue

    Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio delivers a keynote speech at the American University School of International Service in Washington, DC, on September 15, 2023. - AFP

    Bio says US pressured him to interfere in June 24 elections

    Sierra Leone: MRCG commences national retreat on minority rights reporting

    Sierra Leone: MRCG commences national retreat on minority rights reporting

    Kids who benefitted from SWSL's back-to-school package display their goodies. Photo credit, Hassan Koroma, ManoReporters

    Dozens of children of disable parents get Back-to-school kits from SWSL

    Dr Alhaji Umar Njai poses with his mentee, Abubakar Sesay at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi. Photo credit, Project 1808

    Project 1808 Founder, Mentee, Among Sierra Leone Representatives in 1st Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi

    Trending Tags

  • Special Reports
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • True or False
  • Interview
  • ManoReporters TV
  • Tender and Job
  • Election 2023
No Result
View All Result
ManoReporters.com
No Result
View All Result

Op-Ed: Where are they now? Three years after the lifting of the education ban  against pregnant girls in Sierra Leone

ManoReporters by ManoReporters
March 31, 2023
in Politics, Health, Opinion
0
Op-Ed: Where are they now? Three years after the lifting of the education ban  against pregnant girls in Sierra Leone

There was a huge sigh of relief when the subregional ECOWAS Court of Justice ordered the Sierra Leone government to lift the ban on pregnant girls from accessing education in 2019. Photo credit, Equality Now

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Faiza Mohamed and Hannah Yambasu

ADVERTISEMENT

When the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice ordered the government of Sierra Leone to lift the ban on pregnant girls from accessing education on December 12, 2019, there was a huge sigh of relief from the girls as they got a chance to learn once again.

As the broader gender and equality rights community, on the other hand, we held our breath as it was unclear how the government would respond to the raft of comprehensive directions from the ECOWAS Court. The Court, over and above declaring the ban illegal, called for its unconditional revocation and addressing of the factors that caused the minors to get pregnant in the first instance. We were unsure if the government would take these recommendations or leave them collecting dust on the proverbial shelf.

At that point in Sierra Leone, statistics on the ground reflected high numbers of sexual violence, including against minors. President Maada Bio even declared sexual violence a national disaster in February 2019 following a brutal rape of a five-year-old in Freetown, rendering her paralyzed. This case, unfortunately, was not an uncommon incident. It was, therefore, momentous when President Bio accepted the ECOWAS Court’s judgement and breathed life into it through statute. The government of Sierra Leone proposed the development of two policies; radical inclusion to ensure that no child was left out of the education system and comprehensive protection that would address factors that resulted in sexual violence or sexual exploitation of school-going children.

These proposed policies were not only progressive but quite comprehensive as they sought to protect school-going children, including girls, and to keep them in school.

From 2020, pregnant girls have been granted access to education unreservedly. Photo credit, Equality Now.

When we zoom out to today, forward to today, which is exactly three years since the government lifted the ban, and ask – has the judgement made a difference in Sierra Leone? Was it worth it? Are Sierra Leonean girls back in school without exception? Have the risks and vulnerabilities that resulted in the girls getting pregnant in the first instance been addressed? Have the sexual predators who raped or exploited these school-going girls been apprehended? Is the Sierra Leonean society better for it?

The truth is there is no simple answer to these critical questions. But, there is some good news: From 2020, pregnant girls were granted access to education unreservedly. This was a big step in addressing their fundamental right to education and preventing them from being discriminated against based on their status, especially since this status largely arose from either violation or exploitation. The good news is that the government enacted policies to underpin the right to education, including all children regardless of their status, and address the challenges that threatened this access.

The challenge, however, is still ahead of us. Whereas a few non-state actors have cascaded these two policies in select towns and provinces, protecting all school-going children from sexual violence is not nationwide. Neither is the strengthening of referral pathways in the event sexual violations happen. Therefore, all parties, state, and non-state, must adopt a multisectoral approach to prevent and respond to sexual offences, especially against school-going girls. There is need for a comprehensive and coordinated approach bringing together all actors to ensure perpetrators of sexual violence are apprehended and held to account. It is also critical to empower young girls and strengthen community structures to appreciate gender equality in their contexts as Sierra Leone works towards ensuring a just and fair world for women and girls. This approach is possible and has been applied in the provinces of Bo and Kenema and the capital, Freetown, by organizations such as Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society WAVES and Defence for Children International DCI in collaboration with state actors such as the local Family Support Units. The resultant effect has been a critical lesson- that we can succeed in ensuring girls’ access to education in Sierra Leone and keep them safe from sexual violence and sexual exploitation.

And therefore, in response to the question, was it worth it? The answer is a resounding yes, as the current context tells us. With the right coordination, the best is yet to come.

Faiza Mohamed is the Director of Equality Now, Africa Office, and Hannah Yambasu is the Executive Director of WAVES, Sierra Leone

Tags: AfricaSierra LeoneEquality NowEducationWAVES SIerra Leone
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

LDC5 Conference: Bio calls for debt relief

Next Post

IFC convenes forum on Sierra Leone’s organic cocoa sector growth potential

ManoReporters

ManoReporters

Next Post
Participants at a conference on cocoa production in Sierra Leone. Photo credit, Kemo Cham, ManoReporters

IFC convenes forum on Sierra Leone’s organic cocoa sector growth potential

Stay connected

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Sarah Van Horne, Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy in Freetown. Photo credit, Courtesy.

Sierra Leone: US considering further actions after visa ban – Embassy spokeswoman

September 1, 2023
Anthrax Outbreak: Sierra Leone records first human cases

Anthrax Outbreak: Sierra Leone records first human cases

May 22, 2022
Guinea: Daughter of independence hero Sekou Toure passes on

Guinea: Daughter of independence hero Sekou Toure passes on

January 15, 2022
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Photo credit, States Department

Breaking! US government says it is “concerned” about irregularities in Sierra Leone elections

July 14, 2023
Diabetes: The “Ticking Time Bomb” for Africa! Are we sitting on it?

Diabetes: The “Ticking Time Bomb” for Africa! Are we sitting on it?

0
Sierra Leonean on trial for war crimes in Liberia released

Sierra Leonean on trial for war crimes in Liberia released

0
Sierra Leone, France seek tighter cooperation

Sierra Leone, France seek tighter cooperation

0
Wellington Fire Disaster: Victims Benefit From Fullah Progressive Union Largesse

Wellington Fire Disaster: Victims Benefit From Fullah Progressive Union Largesse

0
A screengrab from an amateur video shows the military officer standing over the motionless body of the gunman, shortly after dropping him down. Photo credit, Kemo Cham, ManoReporters

Gunman in Lightfoot Boston Street shooting incident is a “dangerous armed robber” – Police

September 21, 2023
Sierra Leone: Training journalists covering minority issues on mental health & fatigue

Sierra Leone: Training journalists covering minority issues on mental health & fatigue

September 20, 2023
Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio delivers a keynote speech at the American University School of International Service in Washington, DC, on September 15, 2023. - AFP

Bio says US pressured him to interfere in June 24 elections

September 16, 2023
Sierra Leone: MRCG commences national retreat on minority rights reporting

Sierra Leone: MRCG commences national retreat on minority rights reporting

September 12, 2023

Recent News

A screengrab from an amateur video shows the military officer standing over the motionless body of the gunman, shortly after dropping him down. Photo credit, Kemo Cham, ManoReporters

Gunman in Lightfoot Boston Street shooting incident is a “dangerous armed robber” – Police

September 21, 2023
Sierra Leone: Training journalists covering minority issues on mental health & fatigue

Sierra Leone: Training journalists covering minority issues on mental health & fatigue

September 20, 2023
Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio delivers a keynote speech at the American University School of International Service in Washington, DC, on September 15, 2023. - AFP

Bio says US pressured him to interfere in June 24 elections

September 16, 2023
Sierra Leone: MRCG commences national retreat on minority rights reporting

Sierra Leone: MRCG commences national retreat on minority rights reporting

September 12, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Contact

info@manoreporters.com | Freetown, Sierra Leone

Contact

info@manoreporters.com | Freetown, Sierra Leone

© 2022 Powered by Manocommunication.com
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Business and Economy
    • Politics
    • Health
    • Sci-Tech
      • Data
    • Regional
    • Culture
  • Special Reports
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • True or False
  • Interview
  • ManoReporters TV
  • Tender and Job

© 2022 Powered by Manocommunication.com