GENDER AFFAIRS Making the Gender Bill Knowledgeable in Sierra Leone Posted by Santigie Kamara on Mar 4, 2008, 04:14

Prior to the rebel war, women in Sierra Leone were regarded as domestic servants who had no say in decision making.  By then, they should only be seen engaged in cooking, in child naming ceremonies and the “Bondo” secret society where they will be discussing vital issues amongst themselves concerning their family affairs.

When the rebel war broke out in 1991, the situation of women in Sierra Leone became precarious so much so that they were forcefully abducted by the various warring factions.  Most of them were sexually abused while others were taken away and made into ‘bush wives’.

Apparently, women during those horrible days were prone to all sorts of humiliation and discrimination.  Women began breathing a sigh of relief in 2002 when the rebel war was officially declared over.  In a bid to instill confidence in women, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommended that women should not be treated like inferior goods but as partners in development.  It further indicated that the obstacles towards women emancipation in Sierra Leone should be properly addressed.

To fully recognize the rights of women, the erstwhile SLPP government of ex-president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah through the help of donor agencies, established the Constitutional Reform Commission.  The commission was mandated to review the 1991 constitution and make the necessary recommendations to the president.

Amongst the recommendations were the bottle-necks towards women rights in the constitution.  The three gender bills were passed in parliament and ex-president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah gave his assent.  The three gender bills are now in the law books of Sierra Leone. 

Sadly though, quite a considerable number of women in the country are not aware of these bills.  In fact, an estimated figure of 90% women, do not know the essence of the bills and so are still prone to violence and discrimination at the hands of their male folks.

This columnist engaged one Fatmata Bangura in a dialogue.

ST:    Good afternoon Madam, what is your name?

FB:    I’m Fatmata Bangura a Police Officer.

ST:    Are you aware of the three gender bills?

FB:    Yes! Of course, I’m quite aware of them.

ST:    What will you say about the bills?

FB:    To be precise enough, the gender bills are very much important for us and I hope that the government of President Ernest Bai Koroma will embark on a massive sensitization drive so that those who are in the provinces will know their rights.

ST:    There are parents in Freetown who can not afford to send their girl children to school due to one reason or another.  What advice do you have for them?

FB: Well, the some parents do not know the essence of education, because even if they are poor, they should fight hard to send their girl children to school. “Education is the key to success” without education, they will not make an impact in their various communities.  On the issue of violence against women, I think the police must act appropriately against men who are in the habit of being violent to their wives.  Women are not slaves. We are partners in development.

ST:    What is your last word to the government and your colleagues?

FB:    My women colleagues out there, should not allow men to dominate them entirely.  The government on the other hand should ensure that those who are in the provinces are adequately sensitized on these bills so that they too will know their rights.

Unlike Fatmata Bangura who was some how optimistic, Hamama Kargbo had this to say:

ST:    Are you aware of the gender bills?

HK: Yes I’m quite aware of them, but to be frank enough, the gender bills are not effective.

ST: Why are they not effective?

HK: Well, I’m not seen any firm action effected as stipulated in those bills. Probably the government has failed to enforce them. 

ST:    What do you mean?

HK: Look here! The violence against women is on the increase.  Most men dish out money to police officers when ever we report such matters against men at various Police stations. This is very discouraging.

In addition to this, quite a good number of husbands are unable to take care of their   

homes due to unemployment.  As a result of that, women undertake the responsibility   of providing food, shelter, cloth and even in educating their children.  What is the 

50-50 that you people is talking about?

ST: So what is your advice to your colleagues and the government?

HK: Hm hm, my brother, the problems are many.  Look at the Justice Sector and tell  me how it looks like.  Any way, President Ernest Bai Koroma needs to do more. 

There should be a massive sensitization programmes on a regular basis for the

woman in the last village to know about these bills.  For my colleagues, it is a serious fight.  We need to fight hard to achieve our goal.

Duba Toronkah had this to say:

ST: Hi my lady, do you know about the three gender bills?

DT: What are you talking about?

ST: I mean empowering you to have equal rights like your husband.

DT: You mean 50-50? Yes of course.

ST: What will you say about it? Well it is fine and certainly, we will be in a position       to control the country one day.

ST: You are talking about ruling the country when most of your colleagues cannot read    or write

DT: Well, with time things will change and we hope to educate our sisters, daughters  who will steer the mantle of leadership in time to come.

ST: Now why were you not aware of the gender bills? 

DT: Any way, the sensitization process never got to some of us.  This is my first   time of hearing about gender bills and what they really entail.

ST: Now that you have knowledge about it what message do you have for your

colleagues and the government?

DT: The government should do more by informing us about the three gender bills so  that we will know our rights.  For my colleagues, most of whom I believe do not

know about the bills, they should draw the attention of government so that they too     will be aware of their rights.

Despite all what has been said, the government of Ernest Bai Koroma, the civil society organizations and other International Non governmental organizations should come together and embark on sensitization campaigns on the gender bills so that women of Sierra Leone will know their rights.  As the convention on the elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against women states “the universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the principle of the inadmissibility of discrimination and proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms”.  Therefore, the women of Sierra Leone should know their rights.